tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4664908849441313653Wed, 01 Oct 2014 06:52:46 +0000PaceSanchezHunterWilkersonCromartieGreeneJetsKellerKerleyPitoituaSchottenheimerWestermanWilsonBurressDeVitoFergusonHolmesMangoldMaybinMcFaddenPouhaRaidersScottSpecial TeamsTomlinsonBaxterBelloreCallahanCumberlandDixonDucasseEllisGarrardHarrisJaguarsLeonhardMcIntyreMcKnightMooreMulliganPreviewPuntRevisSlausonSmithStricklandThomasTrufantWareWesthoffdefenseoffenseThe Jets PlaybookA site run by a fanatically obsessed Jets fan who has a little too much time and attention to detail on his hands. Follow me on twitter @nyjetsplaybookhttp://www.nyjetsplaybook.com/noreply@blogger.com (Nate)Blogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4664908849441313653.post-8273916429077308810Sun, 30 Oct 2011 00:48:00 +00002011-10-29T17:55:15.116-07:00DucasseHunterKerleyMaybinMulliganSchottenheimerWilsonJets-Chargers Postgame analysis<div class="MsoNormal">Last week, the Jets played what was by far their best game of the season. By pulling out a win against the Chargers, the Jets left themselves in decent position heading in to the bye week, and they might have begun to answer many of the questions that pundits were posing about the team. The Jets won with a combination of resiliency, good luck, and good execution. Now that I’ve had time to break down the game film and take some notes on playing time, let’s take a look at some trends that might have gone unnoticed until now.</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><a name='more'></a><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Jets truly commit to running the ball:</span></b> It’s easy for Rex Ryan, Brian Schottenheimer, and anyone else connected with the Jets to talk about their desire to run the football. What coach wouldn’t want to run the football? When teams can run the ball effectively, they can control the clock, exhaust the opposing defense, and dominate the flow of the game. Of course, running the ball is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hard</i>.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Teams know how important it is to run the ball successfully, and teams also realize that the NFL has become a passing league. Earlier in this season, the Jets were well on their way to becoming a passing team as well; their most common formation involved three wide receivers, Dustin Keller, and a running back. That formation was ideal when the Jets attempted to pass, but it left the Jets without much of a presence at the line of scrimmage. It’s easy to understand why the Jets would want to get three wide receivers on the field.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">By any objective standard, Derrick Mason and Jeremy Kerley are better football players than Matthew Mulligan or John Conner; they can hurt a defense in more ways and they can be assets in the passing game. In a strange way, though, I think that having too many options hurt Sanchez earlier in the season. While elite quarterbacks can dominate opposing defenses when they spread the field with multiple receivers, Sanchez is not at that level, and we need to accept that. I think that having so many receiving options actually made Sanchez uncomfortable and led to bad decisions and rushed reads. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Last week, the Jets decided to go in a different direction. Instead of spreading the field, they only used a third wide receiver on 25 plays. By contrast, Matthew Mulligan played 42 snaps. Don’t get me wrong: I don’t think Matthew Mulligan is particularly good, but I think that he’s a better run blocker than Jeremy Kerley. I think that earlier in the season, Schottenheimer was primarily concerned with theoretical matchups and how to exploit them; Kerley or Mason could pose matchup problems that Mulligan simply could not. On the field, however, Mulligan is actually an asset <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">because</i> he is so bad at catching the ball. Because Sanchez can automatically eliminate Mulligan as a potential target on most passing plays, Sanchez can streamline his reads and do a better job of protecting the football.&nbsp; By making the commitment to put Mulligan in at the expense of more explosive targets, I think that the Jets might have inadvertently helped their passing game, but the biggest benefit came in the running game. Simply having an extra body along the line of scrimmage did wonders for the Jets running game, and I expect that to continue in the future.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">On the topic of committing to run the football, there is someone else who needs to be mentioned. Every Jets fan has taken shots at Vladimir Ducasse, and he has absolutely deserved all of them. For most of his career, Vlad has been nothing short of terrible; he seemed to have no idea what he was doing on the field ,and no ability to move his feet, which is a pretty terrible combination for a lineman. &nbsp;Heading into this weekend, there was no reason to expect that to change. As part of their commitment to running the football this weekend, however, the Jets decided to get Vlad on the field. In the same way that the Jets used to use Wayne Hunter as a tight end on running plays, the Jets got Vlad on the field for seven snaps. Although I barely noticed him when I first watched the game, Vlad actually deserves a lot of praise for his performance. First, look at this nice hole that was opened up by two of the most maligned players on the Jets; Vlad and Wayne Hunter. If the Jets can successfully run to the right going forward, that will do wonders for the offense.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/vlad1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/vlad1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The play that most impressed me, however, came from the San Diego ten yard line.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/vlad2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/vlad2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Look at where Vlad locked on to Eric Weddle, (who recently signed the 2nd biggest contract of all time for a safety) and look how far Vlad drove him backwards. I know that Vlad is bigger than Weddle, but those kind of blocks <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">never </i>happen in the NFL.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/vlad3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/vlad3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I’m not saying that Vlad has turned a corner, but I will say that he showed more flashes in this limited appearance than he ever has in the past. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>On the other side of the ball</b>, there were several things that popped out to me when I re-watched the game.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The first one was a sense of pity for Philip Rivers, and any other QB who has to face Rex Ryan’s defense. I know that the Jets defense isn’t perfect, and it can be maddening at times, but take a look at this play and tell me you don’t come away impressed.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">On a 3<sup>rd</sup> down play, the Jets come to the line of scrimmage with Bart Scott and David Harris standing over the line of scrimmage.&nbsp; I assume that the Chargers have a sight adjustment for this type of play, which would generally be a quick slant because the pressure up the middle would leave a vacated area in the middle of the field.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/ZB1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/ZB1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Right as the ball is snapped, Harris (in red) begins to drop back from the line of scrimmage, so it looks like a standard four man rush, as Dixon (in blue) begins to rush. By itself, this would be very confusing for a quarterback, because of the sudden change and the fact that an A-gap blitz is clearly not coming now, but a good quarterback can make that adjustment and find the open receiver. In essence, this would be a standard zone blitz.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/ZB2-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/ZB2-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Then, the mad genius of Rex comes in. Right as he is adjusting to the initial deception, Rivers sees (or doesn’t see) that Harris took two steps backwards <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">before</i> rushing in, and Dixon actually took a step forwards before dropping back in coverage, right in the area where a quick slant would be thrown.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/ZB3-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/ZB3-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Rivers’ confusion here is understandable, and the end result was Rivers holding the ball until Maybin sacked him. Keep in mind, Maybin was blocked initially, but Rivers was so confused that it was only a matter of time before someone got to him. I honestly have no idea how any quarterback could be expected to digest all of the changes the Jets make to their defensive alignment in a matter of seconds, and then complete passes against a good group of defensive backs.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Another example of this defensive confusion that the Jets cause can be seen on Kyle Wilson’s first career interception. As you can see from the first picture, Philip Rivers would read the field and assume that he was facing man coverage, because all three of his receivers over the middle were being covered by one person. It’s unlikely that he sees Antonio Cromartie lingering by himself by the sideline, which would be the first indication that everything isn’t exactly as it appears.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Wilsonpick1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Wilsonpick1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">By the time Rivers decides to get rid of the ball, he has decided that he is facing normal man coverage, and so he throws the ball in what <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">should </i>be the perfect spot: out in front of Vincent Jackson.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Wilsonpick2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Wilsonpick2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">From Rivers’ vantage point, there is no way for Wilson to break up the pass, unless he sprints to exactly the right spot before the ball is thrown, which he won’t do, because that would violate the basic principles of man-to-man coverage.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Wilsonpick3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Wilsonpick3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately for Rivers, Wilson isn’t playing man-to-man coverage. He is playing a hybrid of man and zone coverage, and because of the lack of players on the other side of the field, he is able to rely on Antonio Cromartie providing deep support along the sidelines, and he is free to undercut Vincent Jackson’s route. As an added bonus, the ball is waiting for him as he comes out of his cut. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">This is just a small sample of the intricacies of Rex's defense, but I think it provides a good illustration of just how much sophistication there really is. Thanks for reading, and I 'll have a breakdown of Aaron Maybin's play tomorrow! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">And of course, here are the snap counts for this week</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">OFFENSE </span></b></div><ul><li>Greene-42</li><li>Tomlinson-21</li><li>McKnight-4</li><li>Conner-14</li><li>Keller-59</li><li>Mulligan-42</li><li>Ducasse-7 </li><li>Baker-1</li><li>Holmes-63</li><li>Burress-56</li><li>Kerley-21</li><li>Turner-4</li></ul><span style="font-size: large;"><b>DEFENSE </b></span><br /><br /><ul><li>Pouha-39</li><li>Wilkerson-36</li><li>Tevaseu-23</li><li>Dixon-34</li><li>Pitoitua-16</li><li>Maybin-7</li><li>Ellis-2</li></ul>http://www.nyjetsplaybook.com/2011/10/jets-chargers-postgame-analysis.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nate)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4664908849441313653.post-6415544277040568875Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:47:00 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mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <br /><div class="MsoNormal">Well, it was certainly nice to be reminded that this year’s Jets actually have something in common with the group that has appeared in two straight AFC Championship Games. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>Of course, the Jets still have a long way to go to get back to that point, and they still haven’t played anything close to a complete game yet this season, but it’s still great to get a win against a good team, and head into the bye week with some positive momentum. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>Even though I wasn’t totally thrilled with the Jets’ performance, the fact that the Jets were able to pull out the victory speaks volumes about their resiliency. With that in mind, let’s take a look at how the different players and position groups performed today.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Like most postgame reviews, this one will start with an evaluation of Mark Sanchez. I thought that Sanchez played reasonably well today. Although a stat line of three touchdowns and one interception is certainly excellent, I felt that his actual level of play was closer to a B/B+ level. On all three of his touchdown passes to Plax, Sanchez put the ball in the perfect spot where it needed to be, and he allowed Plax to make a play on the ball. In addition, Sanchez took advantage of better protection from his offensive line which gave him the time to find open receivers down the field. On his nullified touchdown to Santonio Holmes, Sanchez delivered a perfect pass that hit Holmes right in stride.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Despite all of his positives, however, it also looks like the game still isn’t “slowing down” for Sanchez like we’d like it to. He seems to rush himself in the pocket too often, and he frequently looks off of his receivers or makes the decision to check down too quickly. Sanchez’s biggest flaw, however, can be seen during the plays when he absolutely locks on to a receiver and decides where he is going to throw the ball before the ball is even snapped. In this game, we saw that happen twice. First, on his interception, Sanchez was determined to throw the ball to Plax in the end zone, regardless of coverage. Because Sanchez’s intentions were so obvious, it was easy for Eric Weddle to read the play and ultimately get the interception. The other play where Sanchez locked in on a receiver came near the goal line, when Sanchez forced a throw to a double covered Jeremy Kerley. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>Clearly, Sanchez was throwing the ball to Kerley no matter what; Kerley could have fallen over and it wouldn’t have mattered. In my opinion, that’s a problem. Although the Jets got lucky with that play when the interception was dropped, Sanchez can’t continue to force throws like that and hope to be consistently successful.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I thought that the receivers played quite well today. Although Santonio Holmes did have his touchdown nullified, he had two nice catches, and he drew a (very dubious) pass interference penalty that really helped the Jets secure their win. Except for Dustin Keller’s unfortunate drop/fumble, he was an effective target throughout the game and he really displayed his athleticism on a 32 yard catch and run. Before I start talking about Plax and his three TD day, it’s important to take a minute to talk about Jeremy Kerley. When the Jets decided to release Derrick Mason (who had one catch for seven yards today) there was a lot of discontent in the Jets’ locker room. I think it’s safe to say<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>that most of that discontent is gone now. Today, Kerley was excellent as a slot receiver, particularly on third downs. I’m not sure how much athleticism or explosiveness Kerley actually possesses, but the fact that he and Sanchez seem to have a connection can’t be ignored. Because Sanchez is the only pro QB that Kerley has ever caught passes from, it’s likely that Kerley was much more of a blank slate when he entered the league, and he had far fewer adjustments to make when learning about Sanchez’s tendencies. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>Today, Kerley had two big catches on third downs that led to first downs, and I look forward to him developing into even more of a weapon as the season progresses. Before this week’s game, Rex Ryan said that the Jets were not going to force the ball to Plax any more, and would only throw him the ball when Plax was open. Clearly, Rex lied. It seemed like nearly every throw that went to Plax was a pre-determined read, and that Sanchez was going to make sure Plax was targeted, regardless of how many defenders were around him. In this game, that approach worked three times, because Plax is huge and a dominating red-zone target. In my humble opinion, that is where Plax should be used, and his offensive role between the twenties should be minimized. I would love for Plax to be a big part of the offense, but Sanchez, for whatever reason, seems to feel compelled to force Plax the ball, and I think that is a big problem unless Plax his single coverage in the red zone. Although Plax had three touchdowns today, I think it’s clear that Plax also doesn’t have very much explosiveness, and most of his value will come from his size and strength. The Jets need to utilize that going forward and put both Sanchez and Plax in positions where they will succeed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>I think that means less intermediate pass routes for Plax in the middle of the field, and more of a focus on the red zone, where Plax excels.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">There really isn't much to say about the running backs. At this point we know what Shonn Greene is, and what he is not. He is a powerful, bruising runner who takes what the offensive line creates for him and can move a&nbsp; pile forward. He doesn't really have the ability to make many potential tacklers miss, but he is certainly a serviceable NFL player. Today, with the line playing better than it has all season, Greene looked better than he has all season. Greene isn't an elite talent and he can't be expected to create yards on his own, but he shouldn't need to if the line is playing well.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The offensive line deserves a ton of credit for their work today. One thing that I noticed during the game today was how much of a difference a competent Wayne Hunter made. Notice that I didn’t say a “good” Wayne Hunter: simply not having to worry about Hunter getting Sanchez killed on every play was a huge improvement, and the offense<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>improved exponentially as a result. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>Overall, the offensive line did quite well today. Although they gave up a few pressures and hits on Sanchez, they did a very good job of keeping him upright, and they cleared large running lanes for Greene. Surprisingly, the weakest link of the line today was Nick Mangold. His holding penalty nullified a touchdown to Santonio, and his ineligible man downfield penalty wiped out a nice gain to Kerley and excellent field position. Something tells me that Mangold won’t be too much of a problem going forward, so I’m very happy that he could get his worst game of the year out of the way during a Jets win. One other thing that I thought was worth mentioning came when Vlad Ducasse checked in for a play as a blocking tight end. Vlad clearly false started, but the refs called the penalty on the Chargers D-line, which was a nice break. The last thing Vlad needs is to be reminded of his ineptitude. I’ll have my post-game analysis of the D up later tonight or tomorrow.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Thanks for reading!</div>http://www.nyjetsplaybook.com/2011/10/jets-chargers-postgame-thoughts-offense.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nate)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4664908849441313653.post-7427660568500988734Wed, 12 Oct 2011 04:01:00 +00002011-10-11T21:08:23.088-07:00DeVitoPacePitoituaPouhaWestermanWilkersonWilsonJets-Pats Postgame Thoughts: Defense<div class="MsoNormal">In his 1996 masterpiece <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Infinite Jest</i>, the late, great David Foster Wallace imparted a bit&nbsp; of wisdom that we would all be wise to follow: try to learn to let what is unfair teach you. As a Jets fan, it’s good to remind yourself of this maxim, especially when watching the Jets head to Foxboro to take on the Patriots and the referees. It’s unfair that every call seems to go the Patriots way when the Jets play in Foxboro. It’s unfair that Tom Brady can play at three-quarters efficiency for much of the game and then suddenly get hot, and it’s even more unfair that the Pats can seemingly always call the perfect play at the perfect time to beat the Jets. To me, all of that seems unfair, and I know many of you will agree. Having said that, however, there is a lot that we can take from this weekend’s rather disheartening loss. Let’s take a look back at this weekend’s performances and evaluate who played well and who did not.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Jamaal Westerman makes a splash:</b></span> When Jamaal Westerman had a sack in his first career NFL game, Jet fans were convinced that Westerman was going to be the second coming of John Abraham, except with the toughness to excel in the playoffs. Of course, Westerman didn’t have a sack for the next two years. With the season-ending injury to Bryan Thomas, however, Westerman has finally gotten his chance to play, and he appears to be making the most out of that chance. He had two sacks against Brady, and he led a defense that was more successful generating a pass rush than I have ever seen from the Jets’ defense under Rex. Calvin Pace generated some pressure, <b>Ropati Pitoitua</b> also had his first career sack, and the Jets defense succeeded in making Tom Brady more uncomfortable than he has been this season. Of course, the pass-rush wasn’t entirely successful, as Brady was able to convert on several third and longs when he had all day to throw. Third and longs continue to be the bane of the Jets defense’s existence, as the Jets seem unable to get off the field in far too many of these situations.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">As for Westerman, he was a bit of a mixed bag as well. While his pass-rushing was very good, his run defense was not, and he was at least partially responsible for the success of the Patriots offense as the Patriots managed to keep possession away from the Jets for the last seven minutes of the game. To some degree, Westerman’s struggles aren’t a surprise. Westerman is simply not as big as Bryan Thomas, and his body type is that of a speed-rushing outside linebacker. Unfortunately, the injury to Thomas doesn’t give Westerman the luxury of only filling one role. There is almost no chance that Westerman will miraculously gain fifteen pounds and maintain the quickness that could make him a pass-rushing threat, and there doesn’t appear to be any immediate help on the horizon, so the Jets will need to count on Westerman, for better or for worse, and hope that he can be at least adequate against the run.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">On the Jets defensive line, Ropati Pitoitua continues to show why my man-crush on him is so justified. Although he had a few plays where he was moved far too easily, he displays impressive quickness and power for a man his size. In addition, Wilkerson continues to show the ability to be a force on the defensive line in the near future. Although Wilkerson will still make mistakes on occasion, and sometimes he will over-pursue a runner and leave a lane that the running back can exploit, he clearly has more talent than anyone else on the defensive line, and his snap-count will only increase as the season progresses.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Last year, most Jet fans were willing to call the draft class of 2010 a complete and total bust. Now, less than a full-season later, most Jets fans have changed their tune as <strike>Vlad Ducasse has emerged as a potential superstar</strike>. Kyle Wilson and Joe McKnight have both shown that they have the ability to be really, really good. We’ll get to McKnight later, but for now, let’s just say that McKnight might be the most explosive player on the Jets’ roster; I’m not sure if that’s a good thing.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">As for <b>Kyle Wilson</b>, it was clear last year that he didn’t lack the ability to stay with opposing wide receivers. If Jet fans watched Kareem Jackson on the Texans last season, they saw a rookie cornerback who looked completely lost on a football field. Kyle Wilson simply looked like a talented player who had taken a few too many lessons at the <span style="font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;,Courier,monospace;">Antonio Cromartie school of grabbing the opposing wide receiver whenever he tries to run away from you.</span>&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Now, after an off-season of training with Darrelle Revis, Wilson had come back with enhanced physical skills and a much clearer mental understanding of how to play the position. Wilson’s most impressive play of the game came on a 2<sup>nd</sup> and 9 pass to Wes Welker, when Wilson managed to stay with Welker on a deep route across the middle and then bat away a pass at the last second. I know Jet fans are hesitant to say this because of his struggles last season, but Kyle Wilson is turning into a good player, and he might displace Antonio Cromartie by next season.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Of course, the safeties continue to disappoint as Eric Smith forgot to play defense on Wes Welker and allowed him to get deep for the biggest play of the game. In Smith's defense, he had a pretty solid game except for that one blown coverage. In fairness to Jet fans everywhere, no one really cares about how good Smith was except for that play. Also, Donald Strickland, there is NEVER any excuse to commit pass interference on 3rd and 27. If Aaron Hernandez is going to run past you on 3rd and 27 then tip your cap to him and retire; don't throw a body block and give them a free first down. Please?</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">One last note on the defense before I turn to the offense: I can’t criticize the defense too much, because I thought they played well for much of the afternoon. The one area of their performance that really irked me was the lack of adjustment from Rex and his staff. I was thrilled with the defense’s opening game plan; Bart Scott, who I admire deeply as a football player, was nowhere to be seen on the field, and this was appropriate, because there is no one on the Patriots he would have been able to cover. For much of the game, the Jets defense did a good job of matching up with what the Patriots were trying to do on offense. There weren’t any glaring mismatches like there were last year when Mike DeVito tried to cover Danny Woodhead.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">All of that changed on the Patriots’ final possession. The Patriots got the ball with 7 minutes left in the game and came onto the field with two tight ends, two wide receivers and a running back. Since the Patriots don’t have a fullback, this formation must be considered “run-heavy” for them. Now, I know that you can’t assume anything about the Patriots’ offense, and I also know that Tom Brady can throw out of any formation, but the Jets proceeded to immediately give up thirty yards on the ground because of their defensive personnel. The Jets went to the line of scrimmage with Marcus Dixon at nose tackle and Calvin Pace and Jamaal Westerman lined up as defensive ends. This was on a first down! As I’ve<a href="http://www.nyjetsplaybook.com/2011/09/jets-jaguars-postgame-analysis.html"> written about previously</a>, the Jets like to use Dixon as a lone defensive lineman on obvious passing downs, but I don’t think a first and ten from the New England twenty qualifies. I honestly have no idea what Rex’s thought process here was. By the time Rex put Pouha and Devito in (and on the next play, BJGE was stuffed for no gain) it was almost too late, as the Patriots were already at midfield and had killed nearly four minutes.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">While Rex had a great defensive plan for much of the game, using Marcus Dixon as the sole defensive line seems like a blatant invitation for any team to run the ball at will, and it was an invitation the Patriots were only too happy to accept.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Thanks for reading, and stay tuned tomorrow for my take on the Jets offense.</div>http://www.nyjetsplaybook.com/2011/10/jets-pats-postgame-thoughts-defense.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nate)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4664908849441313653.post-4091734836713224366Wed, 05 Oct 2011 02:47:00 +00002011-10-04T19:47:23.542-07:00CallahanFergusonMaybinPaceSanchezSchottenheimerThomasWestermanWilkersonJets-Ravens Postgame ThoughtsHi Folks. Unfortunately, my hard drive crashed, so while I wait for a new one, you will be forced to read my thoughts without any pictures to accompany them for this week. Don't worry though, I should be up and running by next week.<br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">After two days, I’m still bitter over the embarrassing loss to the Ravens. There are a lot of mistakes that I can overlook when I evaluate a team’s performance. Sometimes players will have bad games. I get that. What I can’t understand, however, is how a team’s offense can come out and look so completely unprepared for the onslaught they had to know what was coming. And for the record, I’m not exempting anyone on the offense from last night’s performance. Brian Schottenheimer, Mark Sanchez, Bill Callahan, the entire offensive line: everyone needs to take some blame for the awful performance. Before I get in to more gruesome details about the offense’s complete breakdown, let’s look at some positives.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><a name='more'></a><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Calvin Pace continues to impress</strong></span>: I noted this after week 2, but Calvin Pace looks like a completely new player this season. Whether it’s because Calvin is finally healthy, he finally learned some pass rushing moves, or a combination of the two, Calvin has finally started to look like the player the Jets hoped they were getting when they signed him to a huge contract. It’s about time as well: he has been paid handsomely to be a mediocre player in the past, and now it’s time for him to step up. He was very active against both the run and the pass this past weekend, and he had several great combinations of pass-rushing moves that allowed him to get pressure on Joe Flacco. Although many Jet fans still aren’t fond of Calvin Pace because of his past struggles, he deserves nothing but praise for his work this season.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Aaron Maybin is already better than Vernon Gholston</strong></span>: Sadly, that headline is not sarcastic in any way. Simply by virtue of getting one career sack, Maybin has already passed Gholston’s career productivity. While it was great to see an OLB flash any type of pass-rushing ability, I think we need to dampen our expectations of Maybin. From what I saw, Maybin only has the ability to do one thing: put his head down and try to speed rush outside of the offensive tackle. Don’t get me wrong: the speed rush can be a very effective move, but it’s far more effective when the rusher has other countermoves to accompany it, and that’s clearly not the case with Maybin. Maybin doesn’t seem to have the ability to spin back to the inside on the offensive tackle, and his sack was a product of relentless hustle instead of actually “beating” Bryant McKinnie. Having said all of that, he did create a sack and a pressure, which puts him ahead of every other pass rusher on the roster except for Calvin Pace. If we’re lucky, maybe he’ll develop some other pass rush move and turn into a real force.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Wilkerson keeps improving:</span></strong> In the preseason, I thought that Ropati Pitoitua was a superior option for Muhammad Wilkerson. As I said then, I didn’t think that Wilkerson lacked any talent; his measurables were obvious to everyone. I just thought that he was too raw to play the DE position in a 3-4 defense right away. In some ways, I might have been right. But, it’s equally clear that Wilkerson has been improving much faster than I expected, and he is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with. His long arms make him difficult for blockers to lock on to, and his positional understanding is increasing every week. I would love to see him turn into a great pass rusher as well, but for now, if he can continue to be effective against the run, I’ll be thrilled. He’s going to need to be stout against the run, because the Jets are going to struggle without Bryan Thomas.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Coping without Bryan Thomas:</strong></span> Because Bryan Thomas was a first round draft pick, a lot of Jets fans viewed him as something of a bust; he was drafted to be an elite pass-rusher, and he never came close to reaching that level. Despite that fact, however, he turned into an excellent run-stuffing outside linebacker, and the Jets were a much better team when he was on the field. I hope that <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Bryan</place></city> has a speedy recovery, and if he’s healthy, I’d love to see him in the green and white next season. As soon as BT left the field, I thought the Jets were in major trouble, as Jamaal Westerman’s performance on Ray Rice’s touchdown run was pathetic; he shied away from contact and seemed content to give himself up. As the game wore on, however, Westerman looked a lot better. This came as a big surprise to me, because I had always viewed Westerman as something of a finesse player. Now, without Thomas, Westerman will have to fill Thomas’s role of taking on blocks and filling holes. I have no idea if Westerman will be able to handle that role, but he’s going to need to.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>The secondary:</strong></span> Although it’s almost redundant at this point, the Jets secondary is awesome. Revis continues to occupy his own galaxy among NFL superstars, and the Jets did a great job of containing Ravens receivers. There were a couple long passes to Ray Rice and the Ravens’ tight ends, but that was to be expected. All in all, the defense was excellent. It only gave up ten points and it can hold its collective head high.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The offense, on the other hand, had one of the worst displays that I’ve ever seen on a football field. After the game, a lot of blame was heaped on Mark Sanchez, but I didn’t see him as the primary role. As weird as it sounds, I thought Sanchez played okay. Granted, he missed a few throws as the game wore on, and he threw an inexcusable pick six, but I also thought that he made a few good throws when he had time to throw. Therein lies the rub. The Jets offensive line was the worst that I have ever seen it, and I remember the days of Adrien Clarke as a starting lineman. What makes the line’s awful performance this season so confusing is that it’s totally unclear what the problem is. I’ve spent the past few days trying to figure out what the problem is, so here are a few of my thoughts.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">One thing about the OL struggles that is so confusing is the fact that the Jets have a highly regarded offensive line coach in Bill Callahan. Many Jet fans see Callahan as the heir apparent to Brian Schottenheimer as offensive coordinator, and they credit Callahan with the offensive line’s success of the past few years. Heading into training camps this season, popular wisdom seemed to dictate that teams with continuity would fare the best, especially early in the season. That was perfect for Jets fans! Seven offensive linemen would be returnees, familiar with Callahan’s scheme (Brick, Slauson, Mangold, <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Moore</place></city>, Hunter, Vlad and Turner). It’s been acknowledged that Callahan’s scheme is tough to master, but it’s also difficult to stop. With everyone knowing their roles, there was no reason to think that the Jets offensive line would be anything except a well-oiled machine. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Fast-forward to this season,&nbsp;and the Jets offensive line looks like it has never heard of zone blocking before. Two plays in particular stood out to me this past weekend. The first was when Haloti Ngata strip-sacked Mark Sanchez. Ngata had been double-teamed by Slauson and Brick, and Slauson moved to block another rusher. Brick, for some reason,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>just let Ngata go and take a free shot on Sanchez. If Brick had simply gotten beat by Ngata, I would have understood that; it was Brick’s seeming confusion, however, that I found disconcerting. One other play that really bothered me was a run play to LaDainian Tomlinson when he was stopped for a three yard loss by Cory Redding. Again, bad plays can happen sometimes. What bothered me was the fact that Wayne Hunter seemingly ran out of <city w:st="on">Redding</city>’s path to block someone on the second level and allowed <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Redding</place></city> to nearly decapitate LT. On that play, it looked like Hunter had never heard of the zone blocking concept, and he’s been on the Jets for three years.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Anyone who watched the Texans Steelers game on Sunday afternoon was treated to an incredible display of offensive line play. The Texans also run a zone-blocking scheme, and they were a force to be reckoned with, as they opened huge holes against the usually stout Steelers run defense. This game made it abundantly clear, at least to me, how important cohesion along the offensive line is. The Texans have a dominant line, but they don’t have any superstars. None of their linemen are on the level of Mangold or Brick, but they were eerily reminiscent of the Jets 2009 offensive line, which functioned like a well-oiled machine. Now, the Jets offensive line appears totally out of sync. Although losing Nick Mangold has certainly not helped the line over the past two weeks, the line looked terrible in the first two weeks as well, and this has many Jet fans looking for reasons why: I have a couple thoughts, but no answers.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">It seems like the Jets were fooled into thinking that Wayne Hunter was a starting caliber right tackle. Damien Woody was an awesome, awesome player, but Jet fans took him for granted because he didn’t play a glamour position, and because he went about his business so quietly. When Woody tore his Achilles in the playoffs last season, Wayne Hunter stepped in and he did a very creditable job. Because of that performance, the Jets front office felt that Hunter would be able to replace Woody. In the front office’s defense, most Jet fans felt the same way. There was never any reason to think that Hunter would look like he has thus far: like a player who has no idea what he’s doing on the field and who looks physically incapable of dealing with good offensive linemen.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Is there a new scheme being implemented? For all of the credit that Bill Callahan receives, he probably deserves some scrutiny as well. While I wouldn’t blame him for the line’s struggles, I do wonder: is he trying to do something new with the line this year? If he’s not, then I don’t understand how the line could have gotten so much worse in such a short time. I like to think that the re-insertion of Mangold will solve all of the line’s problems, but I can’t honestly convince myself that that is the case. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I know a lot of people are blaming Brian Schottenheimer for the offense’s struggles, but such a view seems shortsighted to me. In the <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Baltimore</place></city> game, there was no play that he could have called that had any chance of succeeding. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>Sanchez legitimately did not have time to complete five step drops, as he was forced to run as soon as he took the snap. Now, word has come out that the Jets have decided that they are going to return to their offensive philosophy of 2009, when they attempted to bludgeon teams by running the ball and then using play-action. At this point, I’m willing to try anything as a Jets fan, and maybe making a commitment to running the ball is the best alternative. It might simplify the game plan for the offensive line, and it might allow for Sanchez to throw the ball a lot less, and possibly cut back on his turnovers. If we do see a true commitment to the run game, then expect so see a lot of John Conner as well. Although I have my doubts about the effectiveness of the Jets running game, I need to follow the advice of Red from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Shawshank Redemption</i> and hold on to my hope: in this case, it’s the hope that the nucleus of a very successful line can re-discover its cohesiveness and attitude that made it a dominant unit.</div>http://www.nyjetsplaybook.com/2011/10/jets-ravens-postgame-thoughts.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nate)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4664908849441313653.post-7898944352350184496Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:15:00 +00002011-09-27T06:15:04.592-07:00CromartieGreeneKellerKerleyMcFaddenPaceRaidersSanchezSpecial TeamsStricklandTomlinsonJets-Raiders Postgame Thoughts<div style="text-align: left;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> 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Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Now that week 3 is in the books, we can hopefully start to move on from the Jets’ sub-par performance and start to focus on the Jets difficult, but winnable, game against Baltimore next weekend. In the meantime, however, let’s take a look back at the game versus Oakland and try to figure out what worked, what didn’t, and where the Jets will go from here.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">&nbsp; </div><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><div> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Because we are talking about the NFL, analyzing the Jets’ offense starts with analyzing <b>Mark Sanchez</b>. Sanchez’s performance this weekend was strikingly reminiscent of his performances from the first two weeks of the season. He combined several throws that were amazing with throws that left Jets fans shaking their heads, wondering why Sanchez continues to make the same mistakes that he’s always made. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>The play I refer to, of course, was Sanchez’s interception in the end zone. There is absolutely no way to defend Sanchez’s decision-making on this throw. Sanchez was rolling out, and it was clear that no one was open. Sanchez was well outside of the pocket, and he simply had to throw the ball away and give the team more chances with the ball right outside of the red zone. Instead, Sanchez forced a throw that had no chance of being completed. Without overstating things, I can safely say that those are throws that Sanchez simply can’t make. For Sanchez to have great games, then he can’t have the type of brain farts that he’s had over the past few weeks. Being an elite quarterback requires an intense attention to detail on every play. That’s not to say that elite quarterbacks can never throw interceptions: everyone knows that’s not the case. But those interceptions should come as a result of a tipped pass, or a bad throw or a defense doing a good job of disguising its coverage; not from a quarterback having ample time to read a defense and then forcing a throw afterwards.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Of course, we also need to give Sanchez his due; he made several throws that had me shaking my head in amazement. His throw late in the fourth quarter to <b>Dustin Keller</b> down the middle of the field was a thing of beauty. He placed the throw in the perfect spot; over the linebackers and in front of the safeties, and he hit Keller perfectly in stride. Sanchez’s touchdown throw to <b>Plaxico Burress</b> was excellent as well. It seems as if Sanchez is getting more comfortable throwing the ball to Plax, and the results are good. Burress is as good of a red zone target as you will find in the NFL, and I’m hopeful that Sanchez will continue to utilize him throughout the season. One other throw that impressed me was Sanchez’s throw to <b>Cumberland</b> in the end zone. Although the results of the play were clearly disastrous, (a dropped pass and Cumberland tearing his Achilles) the throw that Sanchez made was very impressive. I haven’t used the Pythagorean Theorem in quite a while, Sanchez must have thrown that pass at least 55 yards, and he put good velocity on the throw as well. It’s clear that Sanchez isn’t a perfect player, but a lack of arm strength is not one of his problems.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>There were other positives from the offense as well: The Jets running game showed a spark for the first time this season: also for the first time, the Jets made an effort to run the ball outside of the tackles, and they had success doing so. I wonder if the Jets will now make an effort to get <b>Joe McKnight</b> on the field and run some of those pitches to him. While it was nice to see <b>Shonn Greene</b> picking up yards on pitches, he just doesn’t have the speed that Joe McKnight does. It was also nice to see Shonn Greene involved in the pass game. Although Greene will never be the type of receiving threat that will keep defensive coordinators awake at night, it would be great if he could at least keep defenses honest. While the running game certainly looked better, the unquestioned offensive star of the game was <b>LaDainian Tomlinson</b>. There are a lot of things that have frustrated me about the Jets’ season thus far, but one thing that I’ve been thrilled with is the Jets usage of LT. From the beginning of the season, I thought that LT could be one of the top third down backs in the league, and he has done nothing but confirm that opinion thus far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>His long screen pass showed that he still has a lot of the shiftiness and ability to break tackles that made him such a dominant force in San Diego, and his touchdown pass was an absolute clinic; he ran a great route to get separation from the linebacker and presented a great target to Sanchez. I hope that LT continues to get 10-15 touches a game, and that he keeps his legs fresh and remains a great target for Sanchez throughout the season.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>One area that everyone was discussing before the game was the offensive line without <b>Nick Mangold</b>. While the offensive line was not great, it was not terrible either. In the first half, the offensive line was superb; Sanchez was rarely touched and Shonn Greene had occasional lanes to run through. In the second half, however, it was a different story. The Raiders defensive line increased their pass rush and the Jets offensive line did not appear to be up to the task. Although <b>Colin Baxter</b> was not a specific problem, he was beaten on occasion, and Tommy Kelly physically manhandled him on one play en route to a sack. The downturn in the offensive line’s play coincided with the offense’s struggles in the half. It seems like Oakland’s defensive line simply wore down the Jets offensive line, and the Jets didn’t have an answer in the second half.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Hopefully the addition of&nbsp; Mangold will help solve these problems in the future, but one positive that I saw was that <b>Wayne Hunter </b>looked much better in the first half of the game. It was nice to be reminded that Hunter actually has the physical ability needed to be a successful tackle in the NFL. Now, he just has to do it on a consistent basis.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">By and large, the offense did its job. If the Jets offense can score 24 points, then the Jets should win most of their games. Unfortunately, this weekend was an exception. While many Jets fans are positively apoplectic over the team’s defense, I’m not quite as angry. In fact, I think a more measured analysis might reveal a more complex picture, but let’s start with the negatives.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">In two of the first three weeks, the opposing team has taken the opening kickoff and scored a touchdown with barely any resistance. That’s not acceptable, and I’m not sure if most of the blame should be shouldered by Rex or by the players, but it’s something that needs to change ASAP. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>It seems like the Jets come out with a defensive scheme that is completely incompatible with the realities of the game, and they need to be scored on for anything to change. It would be great if the Jets could go back to their old ways of forcing a three and out and getting the ball, and the momentum, three minutes into the game.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; While many people are freaking out about how poor the Jets’ run defense is, let’s stop and give <b>Darren McFadden</b> some credit. I truly believe that Darren McFadden is the best running back in the NFL right now. He’s big, he’s powerful, and he’s faster than everyone else on the field. Against most other running backs, the Jets failure to set an edge on one play would have resulted in a twenty yard gain. Against McFadden, it was an easy touchdown. Fortunately, the Jets won’t face anyone with McFadden’s ability for the rest of the season (maybe LeSean McCoy, but he doesn’t face the crowded boxes that McFadden does.)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>For as poorly as the Jets defense played, they didn’t allow a third down conversion, which is almost always a key indicator of defensive success. After the first drive, the Jets pass defense was quite good, and the only big play it allowed was an absolutely perfect throw by <b>Jason Campbell</b> who threw on the run to <b>Michael Bush</b>. If a quarterback is going to make that type of throw, you just need to tip your cap and move on. I see much of the defense’s performance against Oakland as an outlier, and not an indicator of a larger problem.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Similarly, <b>Antonio Cromartie</b> is taking a ton of heat for things that he really doesn’t deserve. Yes, his fumbled kickoff return was brutal, but that was just awful luck; Cro has been, and will continue to be, an excellent returner. He was also flagged for four penalties, but at least two of those calls were ridiculous. While Cro might not have had a very good game, the idea that he is a bad football player is ridiculous. He is one of the better second cornerbacks in the NFL and he’s vital to the Jets defense. On a related note, <b>Kyle Wilson</b> continues to impress. He has shown excellent open-field tackling ability and increased coverage skills. Although <b>Donald Strickland </b>played over Wilson when Cromartie came off the field with his lung injury, I have to think that Wilson would be the starter if either cornerback was to miss any extended amount of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Also, the Jets did well when defending bootlegs, with one notable exception. As I wrote about last week, I expected the Raiders to attempt to use bootlegs as much as possible to get Darren McFadden in space against the Jets linebackers. Although the Raiders did indeed try to use bootlegs, the Jets defense defended them very well. The only time the play worked at all was when <b>Calvin Pace</b> was called for a defensive holding in the fourth quarter. When you consider how poorly the Jets defended those plays in the past, that is certainly progress.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>The Jets special teams were a mixed bag this weekend. On the bright side, <b>Jeremy Kerley</b> showed some of the punt return skills that made him so productive in college. I thought it was funny watching him field his first ever punt from Shane Lechler. Kerley lined up at a reasonable spot, and then had to sprint backwards for 15 yards to get to the ball. Shane Lechler is really good. On the down side, of course, was Antonio Cromartie’s botched kickoff return. It was interesting to see that Janikowski and the Raiders tried a new strategy on their kickoffs. Instead of simply booming the ball out of the end zone, Janikowski hit a line drive that Cromartie had a chance to field. He had actually done the same earlier in the game when the kickoff was fielded by John Conner. I’m not sure what the intent behind the move was, but it certainly worked out for the Raiders.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Although the Jets lost, there is absolutely no reason to panic. Sometimes good teams beat other good teams, and this was just such a case. It’s always difficult for teams to go across the country and win, and this was no exception. The Raiders got a number of fortunate breaks that they were able to convert into points, and the Raiders took advantage of the fact that Darren McFadden is playing on a different level from everyone else right now. I think it’s best for the Jets to simply move on from this game, make the necessary adjustments to make sure that running backs can’t get outside so easily, and prepare to face the Ravens. Before everyone predicts a loss against Baltimore, it should be noted that the Jets defense dominated the Ravens last season, and it was only because of an awful performance by Sanchez and the Jets’ offense that the Ravens were able to escape with a win. This year, I think the Jets are hungry for revenge and we will see an inspired, disciplined team that will go and beat the Ravens. Thanks for reading, and I'll have more detailed analysis of this game later in the week!</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span></div>http://www.nyjetsplaybook.com/2011/09/jets-raiders-postgame-thoughts.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nate)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4664908849441313653.post-2035176330590575736Fri, 23 Sep 2011 17:22:00 +00002011-09-23T12:17:58.196-07:00BaxterCromartieHarrisHolmesHunterMcFaddenRaidersSanchezScottJets-Raiders Preview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; My teenage years as a Jet fan were spent hating the Raiders with a fiery passion. I didn’t understand how two wide receivers who looked old enough to be my father could so consistently get open and torment the Jets secondary. I didn’t understand how a quarterback who looked even older than his wide receivers could be so consistently accurate, and I didn’t understand why the Jets had so much difficulty beating the Raiders. Even when the Jets did well against the Raiders, heartache followed. One of my favorite Jets memories is John Hall kicking a 53 yard goal in a 2001 week 17 game against the Raiders to send the Jets to the playoffs.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Of course, the Jets lost to the Raiders the next week in the opening round of the playoffs when Charlie Garner ran for an 80 yard touchdown on 3<sup>rd</sup> and 11. The next year, I was sure that the Jets were going to the Super Bowl behind Chad Pennington, and there was a 41-0 victory over the Colts to prove it. Of course, the Raiders ended that dream as well. Those Raiders teams were really, really good. My, how things have changed. Over the past ten years, the Raiders have been one of the laughingstocks of the NFL with a litany of awful draft picks and on-field incompetence.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><a name='more'></a><br /><div class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Last year, it appeared that the Raiders finally turned the corner. They were the only team to go undefeated in their division, and they finished with an 8-8 record. Not great, but certainly a huge improvement. Heading into this year, many Raiders fans had high hopes that the team, despite the loss of star cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, would be able to compete for the playoffs. So far this year, the Raiders are 1-1, winning a close game in Denver and losing a last-second heartbreaker to the Bills. From these games, what do we know about the Raiders? As George Seinfeld would say….NOTHING!&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That’s a slight exaggeration, but we don’t know much about this team. We have no idea how good the Bills are, and it’s safe to say that the Broncos will probably struggle. As a result, it’s hard to get any kind of read on how good the Raiders are, but this game should tell us a lot. With that in mind, let’s look at some key matchups that will play a large role in deciding the game.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Raiders Defensive Line vs. Jets Offensive Line:</span> </b>Although you might not believe this after watching Fred Jackson run through their defense with the ease of Kramer doing karate against little kids, the Raiders actually have an excellent defensive line.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://0.gvt0.com/vi/7t8xwpW8gJQ/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7t8xwpW8gJQ&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7t8xwpW8gJQ&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Their primary players along the defensive line are <b>Matt Shaughnessy</b>,<b> Lamarr Houston</b>, <b>Tommy Kelly</b>, and <b>Richard Seymour</b>.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Shaughnessy is a very underrated defensive lineman who finished with seven sacks last year, and already added a sack in the Raiders’ first game against Oakland.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Houston is a 305 pound defensive end who can, on occasion, move inside if the situation calls for it. He had five sacks as a rookie and was widely praised as a steal of a 2<sup>nd</sup> round draft pick.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Tommy Kelly is a very interesting player. Three years ago, he signed a massive contract extension and was held up as a perfect example of another stupid decision by Al Davis. Since the addition of Richard Seymour, however, he has completely turned his career around, and he finished with seven sacks last season as a defensive tackle.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Jets fans need no introduction to Richard Seymour, because we’ve witnessed how good he is up close during his time with New England. He can play either end or tackle, and he can play both positions very well; he is getting older, but he is still one of the top defensive linemen in the game.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; For depth, the Raiders have <b>John Henderson</b>. Although Henderson is nowhere near as dominant as he once was in&nbsp; Jacksonville, he’s still really, really big and he can be an asset against the run. Although he’s not technically a defensive lineman, <b>Kamerion Wimbley</b> is the Raiders’ top pass rusher. Last year, he finished with 9.5 sacks and was rewarded with a huge contract. Although he doesn’t have a sack yet this season, he must be salivating at the thought of rushing against Wayne Hunter.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; All of the talk about how good the Raiders’ D-line is brings me to a related, sadder topic: how poor the Jets’ O-line has been this season. Last season, no defensive line worried me, because I trusted that the Jets would be able to deal with any set of d-linemen. This year, I’m not so sure. With rookie <b>Colin Baxter</b> starting at center, the interior of the Jets defensive line looks far weaker than it has at any point since 2006. Expect Seymour to shift inside frequently and attempt to simply man-handle Baxter; you can also expect him to have some success doing this.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Similarly, you can expect Shaughnessy and Wimbley to alternate pass rushing against Wayne Hunter. If Hunter plays as poorly as he has the first two weeks, then the Jets offense will be in for a long day. Expect to see a lot of Matthew Mulligan functioning as a 6<sup>th</sup> offensive lineman and staying in to block on pass plays to give Hunter some added support. Of course, if Hunter is able to improve this week and give Sanchez time to throw, Sanchez should have a field day, which leads me to my next matchup.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Raiders Secondary vs. Jets Wide Receivers:</span></b> The Raiders are known for their fondness of playing aggressive, man-to-man coverage, much like the Jets. Once Al Davis realizes that Nnamdi Asomugha is no longer on his team, however, the Raiders might have to change that plan. The reason for this is simple: playing man-to-man coverage requires very talented defensive backs. <b>Chris Johnson</b> and <b>Stanford Routt</b> were fine compliments to an elite player like Nnamdi, but they have no place being the top cornerback on a team. One of the downsides to the type of coverage that the Raiders play is that it can lead to miscommunications and blown coverages far more often than zones. As we saw on the final touchdown in last week’s Raiders-Bills game, teams can run “rub” patterns which are designed to cause defenders to run into each other and leave a receiver wide open.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Nelson1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Nelson1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Nelson2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Nelson2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A similar example, and a play that might help the Jets, can be seen on Stevie Johnson’s 7 yard touchdown catch. As I <a href="http://www.nyjetsplaybook.com/2011/09/some-more-postgame-thoughts.html">discussed two weeksago</a>, the Jets have been using <b>Santonio Holmes</b> in the slot far more than they have in years past. Expect that trend to continue this week. If the Jets put Santonio Holmes in the slot and the Raiders decide to use a linebacker or safety to cover him, Santonio will be able to do literally whatever he wants, and those plays usually develop quickly, which should help alleviate the Raiders’ pass rush.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://0.gvt0.com/vi/3ZwVcJu_g5Q/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3ZwVcJu_g5Q&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3ZwVcJu_g5Q&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; If the Raiders insist on keeping their cornerbacks on the outside of the field, expect to see <b>Jeff</b> <b>Cumberland</b> and <b>Matthew Mulligan</b> line up at wide receiver quite a bit and simply draw those defenders away, and allow the Jets’ primary receivers to win one-on-one matchups in the middle of the field.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Another way the Raiders D can be exploited is through <b>screen passes</b>. By playing man-to-man coverage, the Raiders generally leave only one defender to guard the back who is going to be catching the screen pass, and he must attempt to fight through two or three blockers. In addition, the other defenders generally have their backs turned because they are forced to turn and run with other receivers. Jets fans are all too familiar with this vulnerability to screen passes, as we have seen our team victimized by these plays far too often.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; One final note about the Raiders defense: because the Raiders play almost exclusively man-to-man defense, they are usually vulnerable to a quarterback scrambling. With the defenders’ backs turned, quarterbacks will usually have ample room to run if the receivers have run the defenders far enough off of the line of scrimmage. Last week <b>Mark Sanchez</b> scrambled more than we have ever seen him scramble in the past (sometimes out of necessity) and it’s likely that he will do more of the same this week. Of course, he will need to be careful and not take unnecessary hits, but I would be surprised if he doesn’t get at least thirty rushing yards.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Darren McFadden vs. Jets linebackers:</b></span> The Oakland Raiders are a very good running team, and they have two running backs who complement each other very well: <b>Darren McFadden</b> and <b>Michael Bush</b>. The Raiders primary offensive goal is to establish the run and attempt to utilize play-action afterwards. The Jets excel at stopping the run, so this matchup should be a fun one to watch.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Another area where McFadden excels, however, is in the passing game. The Raiders passing game isn’t particularly good. Although <b>Denarius Moore</b> gave Raider fans a reason to be excited about a big, physical receiver for the first time in quite a while, he was playing against Leodis McKelvin and not <b>Darrelle Revis</b>. I saw a lot of talent from Moore that I think will lead to him being a very good player, but his road to stardom will take a forced detour this weekend. With<b> Jacoby Ford</b> looking unlikely to play, there is no other Raider receiver who should scare Jet defenders.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Raider who should scare the Jets, however, is Darren McFadden.&nbsp; He had 7 catches for 71 yards last week, and he is going to be Jason Campbell’s primary outlet this weekend as well. Many of the problems that I mentioned with the Raiders playing so much man-to-man defense can apply to the Jets as well. As I wrote about <a href="http://www.nyjetsplaybook.com/2011/09/jets-jaguars-postgame-analysis.html">last week</a>, the Jets have struggled against bootlegs in the past, and I expect the Raiders to run bootlegs as often as possible.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In addition, the Raiders will likely attempt to neutralize the Jets’ pass rush by running screens to McFadden (and possibly <b>Taiwan Jones</b>) frequently. The Jets defense will need to stay disciplined to stop these plays from being successful. The Jets also can’t allow McFadden to get isolated against any of their linebackers. <b>Bart Scott</b> and <b>David Harris</b> are both wonderful players, but neither of them have a prayer at stopping McFadden in pass coverage. He will need to be bumped at the line of scrimmage and quite possibly double-covered much of the time. If the Jets can limit his success in the passing game, they should have a good chance of shutting down the Raiders’ offense.&nbsp; One final matchup worth mentioning is…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sebastian Janikowski vs. Antonio Cromartie: </b></span>No one was happier about the new kickoff rules than Janikowski. He has always had a powerful leg, but these new rules almost guarantee him a touchback every time he kicks off the ball. So far this season, Janikowski has eleven kickoffs and eleven touchbacks. Most of these kickoffs go out of the back of the end zone, but if he happens to mis-hit a kickoff and only send it eight yards deep into the end zone, does Antonio Cromartie try to return it? So far this season Cromartie has been a definite asset on kick returns, and Janikowski seems likely to neutralize that edge.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Prediction:</span> This is a tough game to call. It’s generally tough for teams to travel to the other side of the country and win, and it could be argued that the Raiders are poised to bounce back from their brutal loss last week. In my opinion, this game will come down to <b>Wayne Hunter</b>. If Hunter can improve to play at an even mediocre level, then Sanchez should have time to shred the Raiders' secondary, and I’m going to predict that’s what will happen. With an improved Hunter, I think the Jets offense scores at least 24 points. I think the Jets have at least one breakdown that leads to a big play for DMC, but for the most part, they are able to put the clamps on the Raiders offense.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Final Score: <span style="color: #38761d;">Jets 24</span> Raiders 20</span></div>http://www.nyjetsplaybook.com/2011/09/jets-raiders-preview.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nate)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4664908849441313653.post-8942476803676295314Fri, 23 Sep 2011 02:20:00 +00002011-09-22T19:20:36.114-07:00DixonPacePitoituaWilkersonJets-Jaguars Postgame Analysis<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> 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</style> <![endif]--> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>After taking a few days to review the film of this past weekend’s massacre against the Jaguars, I’ve come to one conclusion: Luke McCown isn’t very good. Just Kidding! Well, I’m serious about him being awful at football, but I did come to a few other conclusions as well. Keep reading after the jump for my analysis on Wayne Hunter, Calvin Pace, Mo Wilkerson, and several other players.</div><a name='more'></a><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>I’ve already talked about my semi-pathetic yearning for the desire of Damien Woody. It’s not healthy and some would even call it childish. Whatever. The fact remains that Wayne Hunter has been the worst player on the offense this season by a wide margin. By performing so badly he has done an excellent job of illustrating just how important Woody was to the Jets offense.&nbsp;</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Hunterbad3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Hunterbad3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Block him Wayne!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">This week, I went back and watched some of the games that Hunter played in last season, and he was actually pretty good. I saw surprising quickness from him, along with the ability to lock on to a defender in the running game. This season, however, Hunter has been something different, and awful. He looks completely lost in both facets of his game. When pass blocking, he appears to not understand the snap count, as defensive linemen seem to get past him within a step and a half. In the run game, Hunter has been just as bad; he seems unfamiliar with the concept of zone blocking and he can often be seen standing in an area with linemen around him, but not actually blocking anyone. When he does block someone, he seems to lack the power that you would expect of someone with his size, and Hunter almost never gets to the second level when blocking. All of these factors have combined to bring the Jets’ running game to an awful, screeching halt. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>When Vladimir Ducasse entered the game in the fourth quarter, he didn’t look any better. He seems to struggle with the concept of zone blocking, and on most of his plays, he failed to lock on to a defender and drive them backwards. For those of you who are hoping to replace Wayne Hunter with Vlad, I can tell you that I haven’t seen anything from Vlad that would indicate that this move would help the team at all.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">And now, on a happier note, the <b>offensive snap counts</b>!!</div><blockquote><ul><li>Holmes 43</li><li> Burress 35</li><li>Mason 28</li><li>Turner &nbsp; 11</li><li>Kerley&nbsp;&nbsp; 6</li><li>Cromartie 1</li><li>Keller &nbsp; 44</li><li>Cumberland &nbsp; 20</li><li>Mulligan &nbsp; 26</li><li>Greene&nbsp;&nbsp; 34</li><li>Tomlinson&nbsp;&nbsp; 17</li><li>McKnight&nbsp;&nbsp; 7</li><li>Conner&nbsp;&nbsp; 13</li></ul></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;And for the Defensive Line!!!</div><ul><li>Pouha&nbsp;&nbsp; 37</li><li>Devito&nbsp;&nbsp; 37</li><li>Wilkerson&nbsp;&nbsp; 18</li><li>Pitoitua&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 25</li><li>Dixon&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 19</li></ul><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>One thing that caught my attention on the defensive side of the ball was the way that Rex deployed Marcus Dixon. At this point in the season, it’s obvious that the Jets have four top defensive linemen in Pouha, Devito, Wilkerson and Pitoitua. In Sunday’s game, however, Dixon got 19 snaps, which was actually one more snap than Wilkerson got. What was particularly interesting about Dixon’s usage was that of his 19 snaps,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>he was the only defensive lineman on the field for 6 of them. It seems as if Rex has, for whatever reason, decided that Dixon is the designated lineman on third and long when Rex loads up the field with linebackers and defensive backs. So far, Dixon hasn’t done anything to really justify this role, but it certainly bears watching for the rest of the season. It seems like Wilkerson might be in line for more of these snaps, especially after his sack when he lined up at nose tackle on Sunday, but we will see what happens.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Although I mentioned it earlier, one player who consistently impressed me last week, and against the Cowboys, was Calvin Pace. He looks quicker and more agile than he has in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>years past. Although I’m biting my tongue as I<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>say this, is it possible that a healthy Calvin Pace might actually have been worth something close to the exorbitant contract that the Jets decided to pay him? Fingers crossed! A healthy and productive Pace would free up the Jets defense in a variety of ways: it would allow for Rex to tone down the number of rushers he sends on blitzes; it would allow for the Jets to consistently double team tight ends and slot receivers, who have given the Jets trouble ever since Rex took over, and it would allow for even more exotic blitzes because defenses would have to account for Pace on every play.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Pace1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Pace1.jpg" width="640" />&nbsp;</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;<a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Pace4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Pace4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Pace5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Pace5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who doesn't love a montage?</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Speaking of Pace, he made another play that I wanted to spend a minute talking about. Throughout Rex’s tenure, one play that the Jets have struggled to defend is the bootleg. The bootleg, as many of you are aware, is a pass play when the quarterback fakes a handoff and then rolls in the opposite direction of his offensive line. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.scienceshareware.com/bob/images/the-bootleg-pass-pattern-route-football.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="466" src="http://www.scienceshareware.com/bob/images/the-bootleg-pass-pattern-route-football.gif" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Generally speaking, when the Jets have faced this play in the past, they have overcommitted to the direction the quarterback faked, and the linebacker responsible for containment would take off in pursuit of the quarterback, which would lead to an easy completion and first down to the running back. On this play, as you can see, Pace resists the temptation to chase after Luke McCown, and instead stays at home and eliminates Deji Karim as a receiver. Although the pass on this play was actually completed, the result is far less important than what this play indicates about the Jets defense. It would suggest a more disciplined unit in Rex’s third year, and a unit less vulnerable to plays that were once guaranteed to succeed against it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/PaceContain2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/PaceContain2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/PaceContain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/PaceContain.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>One interesting thing that I noticed that I thought warranted a mention was the presence of the most intimidating “linebacker” in the history of the NFL. I’m not sure if having Pitoitua stand up before the ball is snapped actually does anything, but it definitely makes it clear how massive he is, and that’s important.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Pitostandup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Pitostandup.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Muhammad Wilkerson also had a very solid game. In addition to his<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>sack, which was awesome, Wilkerson had several big stops of running plays, including one play in which he sliced through a double team, ran downhill at the running back, and stopped him behind the line<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>of scrimmage.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Wilk2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Wilk2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Wilk3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Wilk3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Thank you everyone for taking the time to read the blog. Although this week’s entry was a bit shorter due to a lack of material to discuss in the wake of such a thorough ass-kicking, please stay tuned for a Jets-Raiders preview, and postgame analysis!</div>http://www.nyjetsplaybook.com/2011/09/jets-jaguars-postgame-analysis.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nate)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4664908849441313653.post-7589168696963695257Tue, 20 Sep 2011 02:38:00 +00002011-09-19T19:38:14.994-07:00Jets-Jaguars: Postgame Thoughts<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> 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QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Like most Jets fans, I went into yesterday’s game hoping that Gang Green would be able to take care of business against an inferior team and have the game in hand by the end of the third quarter. The last thing I wanted was another nail-biter. I figured that a blowout win was the least the Jets could do for me if they were going to force me to look at their hideous uniforms for three-plus hours. By the time the game’s first quarter was over, several things were obvious: Luke McCown is not an NFL quarterback, and Mark Sanchez’s performance was going to engender some post-game controversy. With that in mind, I’m going to begin my postgame analysis by taking a look at Sanchez’s performance.</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><a name='more'></a><br /><div class="MsoNormal">&nbsp; </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>For the first time that I can remember in Rex’s tenure, the Jets decided to receive the opening kickoff. Maybe they wanted to get more first-quarter possessions in order to end their streak of not scoring touchdowns in the first quarter, or maybe they just wanted to get some good offensive reps before the game devolved into a blowout. Either way, it was a decision that caught me completely by surprise.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>From the game’s first play, it seemed clear that the Jets were going to attack the Jaguars through the air, and it also seemed as if Sanchez was up to the task. His initial passes looked great; Sanchez looked decisive as he made quick reads and put the ball exactly where it needed to be. He made a third down throw to LT right on the sidelines, and then it was awesome to see Sanchez taking a downfield shot to Keller, and Keller simply looked too fast and powerful for anyone on the Jaguars to keep up with. On the game’s first touchdown, Santonio Holmes executed a beautiful double move, and Sanchez put the ball in the only spot it could have gone, and Holmes made a great catch. Really, it was a thing of beauty.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://1.gvt0.com/vi/fO8bIo3wtjU/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fO8bIo3wtjU&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fO8bIo3wtjU&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>On the Jets next offensive possession, however, Sanchez made the kind of rookie mistake that he is trying to put behind him. He was so locked in on Derrick Mason that he failed to notice that Mason was facing bracket coverage and there was no window to throw the ball. That was interception number one. As frustrating as that throw was, it looked like Sanchez had bounced back from it over the next few possessions, as he did an excellent job with his reads and was checking the ball down when no one was open downfield. He even got John Conner involved in the passing game, which was nice to see. Then, just as suddenly, “Bad Mark” made an appearance when he threw an interception to Rashean Mathis on 3<sup>rd</sup> and 15. As soon as the ball was snapped, there was no doubt that Sanchez was only looking at Santonio Holmes. Unfortunately, if there was no doubt for the viewer at home, there was no doubt for Jaguars defensive backs either. Locking in on his receiver is a problem that Sanchez has had, and it’s a problem that reared its head last week as well. Hopefully, Sanchez can learn from this and stop doing it. To me, it seems as if Sanchez’s natural tendency is to lock in on one receiver, and he needs to remind himself not to do that. When he forgets to do that, bad things happen, but I also think that he’s doing it less this year than in the past.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>For the rest of the first half, Sanchez played pretty well. LT had a key third down drop with under a minute left that might have led to a first down, but it’s hard to say for sure. I thought that Sanchez didn’t make a great pass, and he should have led LT more, but it’s a catch LT normally makes in his sleep.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>When the second half started, the Jets offense looked entirely out of sync, as they couldn’t even seem to remember the snap count in unison. Then, of course, as everyone was complaining about Sanchez’s sub-par first half, he made one of the best throws you will see any quarterback make this season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Keller1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Keller1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wasn't kidding. It's Tiny!!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Seriously, look at how tiny that window is. Sometimes all you can do is shake your head at Sanchez. It’s so obvious that he has all of the physical tools that are necessary to succeed, and he’ll make throws like this that make your jaw drop, and then he’ll have terrible stretches where it looks like he’s one of the worst QBs in the league. I don’t know if he will ever become predictable. Sanchez then made another great throw to Holmes with around five minutes left in the third, when a slightly softer throw would likely have been picked off. Instead, Sanchez threw an absolute dart that Holmes caught for a first down.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Then as if to remind us just how talented he is, Sanchez made another perfect throw to Keller, this time for a touchdown. Keller was guarded by Paul Posluszny, one of the better coverage linebackers in the NFL, and Sanchez fit the throw into a tiny window.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Keller2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Keller2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How many QBs make that throw? It's a small number</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Of course, Sanchez needed to show us that the Mr. Hyde to his Dr. Jekyll still existed, Sanchez missed a wide open Burress in the end zone to start the fourth quarter.&nbsp;</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Burress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Burress.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was probably his easiest throw of the game.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>In many ways, Sanchez’s performance today was emblematic of the type of quarterback that he is; a supremely talented player who was certainly worthy of his high draft pick, but an enigmatic player who makes many of the same mistakes he made as a rookie. I can guarantee you that if I were to ask Sanchez if he was satisfied with how he played today, his answer would be a resounding “no.” Many people will say that because the Jets won, Sanchez played well, but I don’t accept that logic. The Jets so clearly out-classed the Jaguars today that Sanchez could have thrown five interceptions and the Jets could have won, and I wouldn’t call that acceptable.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>At the same time, I won’t say that Sanchez played badly. In a lot of ways, he looks totally improved over the player that he was last year. With the exception of his missed throw to Burress, Sanchez’s accuracy was phenomenal. In the past, Sanchez had an awful habit of missing his receiver son what should have been easy throws, which turned a lot of 3<sup>rd</sup> and shorts into 3<sup>rd</sup> and longs. Today, Sanchez was <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">much</b> better in that regard; he was decisive and accurate in all of his throws. Both of his interceptions came as a result of poor decision making, and not poor accuracy. I’m honestly not sure which is the lesser of the two evils, but if Sanchez can complete 70 percent of his passes, I will take my chances with his decision making, and I will confidently say that the Jets will win the vast majority of those games. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>In addition, I was very happy with Sanchez’s scrambling. His mobility is clearly an asset, and there’s no reason that he shouldn’t utilize it when the situation calls for it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>While Mark Sanchez played pretty well yesterday, the running backs showed very little. Although the offensive line generated almost no push, <b>Shonn Greene</b> did almost nothing to create yards on his own. In the past, Greene hasn’t needed to create yards for himself, because he could rely on the offensive line. Clearly, that is no longer the case. In the coming weeks, we will see if Greene has the ability to generate yards even when there is no room created for him.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>While the running backs showed very little to make any Jet fans happy, the receivers were a different story. <b>Santonio Holmes</b> ran an incredible route and made a great catch for the game’s first score; that was the kind of play that elite wide receivers make, and it’s important that he gets proper credit for playing well yesterday, because most of the accolades will likely go to <b>Dustin Keller</b>. Keller played one of his better games as a Jet yesterday. Sometimes, Jet fans can forget what a supremely talented player Keller is, but we were all reminded yesterday. Keller looked to be uncoverable, as he ran sharp, precise routes to get open and then simply out ran the linebackers who were covering him. Of course, when that didn’t work, he would just show off his awesome spin move, and that worked just as well. If Sanchez continues to target Keller on a consistent basis, there’s no reason that Keller can’t put up an incredible statistical season.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><b><span style="font-size: large;">Offensive Line: </span></b>Damien Woody, I know that there’s almost no chance you will read this letter, but I’m going to proceed as if you will.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><blockquote style="font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;,Courier,monospace;"><div class="MsoNormal">Dear Damien,</div><div class="MsoNormal">I am truly sorry for not appreciating you more when you wore the green and white. I’m not sure why, but I never considered you the elite player that you truly were. Maybe I read <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Blind Side</i> one too many times, and I was convinced that the only player on the offensive line that mattered was the left tackle. Maybe I was so impressed by Brick and Mangold that I thought whoever played right tackle was irrelevant. Either way, I was confident that Wayne Hunter could step in to your position this year and that the Jets offensive line wouldn’t miss a beat. Hunter played well in the playoffs last year, he was big and athletics, and it just <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">seemed</i> like he was up to the task. </div></blockquote><br /><blockquote style="font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;,Courier,monospace;"><div class="MsoNormal">Boy, was I wrong. I honestly didn’t realize how badly your loss would affect the entire Jets offense. I can honestly say that your loss has made the running game significantly worse, and has almost gotten Mark Sanchez killed several times. </div></blockquote><br /><blockquote style="font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;,Courier,monospace;"><div class="MsoNormal">Your replacement, Wayne Hunter, has been beyond terrible, and there doesn’t appear to be much hope for immediate improvement. I haven't even begun to talk about his penalties, because that would take too long. So, Damien, if you want to come out of retirement that would be great. Or, if you want to get Wayne Hunter to play better, that would be great too. Either way, I just wanted to say I’m sorry.</div></blockquote><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Hunterbad1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Hunterbad1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wayne, you're doing it wrong.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Hunterbad2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Hunterbad2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I will have more analysis later in the week, but for now just marvel at Wayne.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; </span>The defensive line came through with its usual underrated performance. Although Maurice Jones-Drew had some statistical success, he was never a serious threat to the Jets defense. Of course, part of that might have stemmed from the fact that the Jaguars struggled to complete a forward pass, but that’s neither here nor there. One play that particularly stuck out to me was <b>Muhammad Wilkerson’s</b> sack and safety of Luke McCown. Aside from the fact that this play already made Wilkerson a better player than Vernon Gholston, it was great to see a Jets defensive lineman generate pressure on his own without relying on a blitz to hurry the quarterback. Wilkerson also had several excellent plays against the run, and he shows off the physical tools that led to the Jets using their first round pick on him. <b>Ropati Pitoitua</b> and Mike <b>DeVito</b> were similarly effective, as they got good penetration at times and generally did their jobs.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>One player that has caught my attention so far this season has been <b>Calvin Pace</b>. For the past three seasons, Jet fans have viewed Calvin Pace like the way most people view the show <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">House. </i>No one would say that Pace is a bad player, but no one would say that he’s good, either. What makes Jet fans more likely to criticize Pace is the massive contract that the Jets signed him to. The Jets clearly were expecting Pace to become an elite pass-rusher, and they gave him a contract to match those expectations. Two years ago, Pace was suspended for the first four games for pulling a Shawne Merriman and using performance enhancing drugs. Last season, Pace broke his foot and missed the first four games, and was limited for much of the rest of the season. This season, it appears that the Jets finally have a healthy Pace, and the results have been good.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Pace has shown far more explosiveness than I have ever seen him display, and he is a constant presence in opposing backfields. I’m not expecting Pace to turn into Cameron Wake or DeMarcus Ware, but an eleven sack season is not out of the realm of possibility for him, and if he can just be better than he has been for the past two seasons, that will open up Rex’s defensive playbook and allow for even more defensive creativity.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Not surprisingly, the secondary looked awesome against such a woeful passing offense. I almost hesitate to take anything from last night’s game, but it was nice to see <b>Cromartie</b> get two interceptions and remind everyone of how talented he is, and <b>Kyle Wilson</b> made a great open-field tackle. Wilson is a much-improved player from last season, and I look forward to seeing how he responds to playing against teams who can actually move the ball through the air.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Thanks for taking the time to read this, and check back in a day or two for more analysis!</div>http://www.nyjetsplaybook.com/2011/09/jets-jaguars-postgame-thoughts.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nate)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4664908849441313653.post-5034188979496880700Fri, 16 Sep 2011 22:22:00 +00002011-09-16T15:23:19.081-07:00GarrardJaguarsJetsPreviewSchottenheimerJets-Jaguars Preview<div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Whenever I think about the Jacksonville Jaguars, I’m reminded of Matt Damon’s character in Ocean’s Eleven, when Damon has to go into Andy Garcia’s casino. The Jags are so boring and eminently forgettable, that their lack of anything resembling an identity is their most defining characteristic.&nbsp; Over the last two years, the Jags have made a sustained commitment to mediocrity.&nbsp; It’s not just their mediocrity that makes them so boring, however. Instead, it’s the fact that with the exception of Maurice Jones-Drew, the team has no one who stands out as particularly exciting or watchable. If you asked most casual NFL fans to name five players on the Jaguars, I’m confident that they wouldn’t be able to do it. Despite the mind-numbing boredom that watching the Jags can cause, they’ve also been a team that can’t be overlooked, as every Jets fan painfully remembers.</div><a name='more'></a><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Two years ago, the Jaguars came into the Meadowlands to face a well-rested Jets team and proceeded to dominate the first half. Eventually the Jets came back to take the lead, but the Jaguars were able to launch an agonizingly painful final drive which led to a game-winning chip-shot field goal.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Heading into this season, it looked like the Jaguars were going to move forward with the same nucleus that had produced such unexciting results, but in one of the more blatant money-saving transactions I have ever seen, the Jaguars decided to release long-time starting quarterback David Garrard and hand the reins over to Luke McCown, because hey why not, right? As a result of the move, the Jaguars’ offense got rid of any explosiveness it might have had, as anyone who watched last week’s 16-14 pillowfight between the Jaguars and Titans can attest. I’m just kidding, no one watched that game! Now, let’s take a look at the Jaguars team and what we can expect to see on Sunday. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Quarterback:&nbsp;</span> As previously mentioned, the Jaguars decided to release David Garrard right before the start of the season. While Garrard was never particularly good, he wasn’t particularly bad either, and was really the perfect embodiment of the Jaguars franchise. Now, the Jags have moved on to Luke McCown, and at least we can definitively say that he's bad. With the exception of an incredible 26 yard pass to Mike Thomas on a 3<sup>rd</sup> down, I saw nothing from McCown that worries me.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://1.gvt0.com/vi/xPNtZy5T4Uk/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xPNtZy5T4Uk&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xPNtZy5T4Uk&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I expect the Jets to attempt to pressure McCown all game and try and force him into bad throws. McCown appears to have no inclination or ability to throw the ball deep, which should play into the Jets’ hands.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Running Back:</span> The only identifiable player on the Jaguars is <b>Maurice Jones-Drew</b>. Seriously. Jones-Drew is an excellent player; he’s a small-shifty back who runs with incredible power for a man his size. MJD is also an excellent receiver coming out of the backfield, and the Jets need to constantly be aware of him. I expect the Jags to do all they can to isolate MJD on either Bart Scott or David Harris on pass routes, because those are matchups that MJD will almost always win.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Despite MJD’s talent, there are concerns. He had knee surgery in the off-season, and he is being handled very carefully by the Jacksonville coaching staff.&nbsp; He was on a snap-count last week and it remains to be seen how many carries will go to his backup, <b>Deji Karim</b>. On a side note, I have an early nominee for the strangest play call of the season.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">With under two minutes remaining and the Titans out of time-outs, the Jaguars had third and five. If they ran the ball they would have punted with roughly one minute left. Instead, the Jags decided to put the ball in the hands of Luke McCown. Fine, maybe they were hoping to catch the Titans off-guard. Instead of throwing to a wide receiver, however, they motioned backup fullback (seriously, they have a backup fullback active on gamedays) <b>Brock Bolen</b> to wide receiver and attempted to throw a quick pass to him. The pass wasn’t even close and the Jags had to punt and saved the Titans forty seconds. Can you imagine if Brian Schottenheimer called a play like that? I think the internet would explode.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Wide Receivers:</span> The Jags’ wide receivers wouldn’t worry any defensive coordinator, and I don’t expect them to provide much difficulty for the Jets’ defensive backs. <b>&nbsp;Mike Thomas</b>, the Jaguars de facto number one receiver would probably be a slot receiver on most teams. The only player in this group that worries me is tight end <b>Marcedes Lewis</b>.&nbsp; Lews is massive, quick and reliable. If he had a better quarterback, I think that he would be considered one of the best tight ends in the NFL, and I expect him to give whoever covers him a lot of problems. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Jets decide to have Darrelle Revis cover Lewis on at least some plays in the hopes that Revis’ physical play at the line of scrimmage will be able to negate some of the threat that Lewis poses.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Offensive Line:</span> In a lot of ways, the Jaguars attempt to run their offense like the Jets do: by controlling the ball on the ground and establishing their offensive line’s dominance.&nbsp; Two years ago the Jaguars used their first two picks on offensive tackles <b>Eugene Monroe</b> and <b>Eben Britton</b> in the hopes of securing two anchors for that unit for the foreseeable future. Monroe is the polar opposite of his fellow UVA alum D’Brickashaw Ferguson after his first two years in the league. Monroe is an excellent run blocker whose pass blocking is inconsistent at best. Britton has shown the ability to be a very good run blocker, but he has been hampered by injuries. Entering this week, though, Britton is healthy and ready to go.&nbsp; Right guard <b>Uche Nwaneri</b> is a very underrated player who earned a 5 year, 25 million dollar extension from the Jags for his effort. This might be the strongest unit of the Jaguars’ entire team, and how they fare against the Jets’ D-line will be a key factor in deciding the outcome of the game.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Defensive Line:</span> &nbsp;The 2008 draft was not kind to teams who attempted to upgrade their pass rush. While the Jets memorably whiffed on Vernon Gholston, the Jaguars first round pick, Derrick Harvey, was quite the bust in his own right, and the Jaguars waived him before this season started. Despite that awful pick, the Jaguars actually have a&nbsp; pretty good defensive line, and they will be difficult to run against. On the interior of their line, the Jaguars line up <b>Tyson Alualu</b> and <b>Terrance Knighton</b>.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Alualu was widely panned as the tenth overall pick in the draft last season, but Alualu had a very productive rookie season and received widespread praise. He’s a quick, penetrating player who will be a handful for Mangold, Slauson, and Moore to deal with. Next to Alualu, Terrance Knighton is a different kind of player. He is much more in the Vince Wilfork mode; a massive human being who can take up incredible amounts of space, while also possessing surprising quickness. Although Knighton showed up to training camp out of shape (and is that really a surprise, considering his nickname is pot roast?) he was on the field during week one and was a big part of the Jags’ successful run defense.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">On the outside, the Jags signed <b>Aaron Kampman</b> last year, and he was a very productive pass-rusher, until he tore his ACL for the second time in two years. Although he had hoped to be ready for the opening of this season, he admitted to recently having a setback and his return time is unknown. Instead, the Jags start <b>Matt Roth</b> and <b>Jeremy Mincey</b>. Roth made a name for himself as an elite run defender as a 3-4 outside linebacker, but he is now playing defensive end for the Jaguars, and will help bolster their run defense even more. There really isn’t much to say about Jeremy Mincey; he’s not a bad player, and he led the team in sacks last season (with 5) but he won’t keep any Jet lineman up at night. Expect Brick and Hunter to have a much easier time than their counterparts on the interior.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Linebackers:</b></span> As part of their push to end their commitment to mediocrity, the Jags went out and signed…<b>Paul Posluszny</b>? Posluszny is a solid player, but he is not, in my opinion, elite. Having said that, his game should improve this year as he plays behind the aforementioned defensive tackles. The Jags also went out and signed Clint Session from the Colts, who pairs with Daryl Smith to form a decent outside linebacker combo. There really isn’t too much to say about the Jags’ linebackers. The Jags d-line will dictate the Jets’ success running the ball, and while the linebackers are decent in coverage, the secondary is not.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Secondary:</span></b> Last year, the Jags had an atrocious passing defense, and that seems unlikely to change. Although the Jags made a wise decision in importing former Jets <b>Dwight Lowery</b> and <b>Drew Coleman</b>, those aren’t the type of players that win or lose many games. (Unless we’re talking about Dwight Lowery clinching a win in the last two minutes of a game; that he can do.) The Jaguars top cornerback is <b>Rashean</b> Mathis. After Mathis had a fabulous 2006 season, his reputation and his performance diverged rapidly. He is no longer close to being an elite cornerback, and might not even be above average at this point.&nbsp; He is surrounded by <b>Derek Cox </b>and Drew Coleman, and as we all know about Coleman, he’s not great in coverage. Neither is Cox. Jacksonville’s safeties were even worse last year, as they started Courtney Greene and Don Carey, neither of whom did anything particularly well. This off-season, the Jags signed <b>Dawan Landry</b> to play opposite Greene. Landry has always been a highly regarded player, but it should be interesting to see if his reputation stemmed from his own abilities or playing next to Ed Reed.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Key Matchups and Questions:</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><ul><li><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">&nbsp;</span></b><span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: large;">Will the Jets try to run the ball against a talented defensive line?&nbsp;</span></li></ul>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Objectively, the Jets would probably have more offensive success if they focused on throwing the ball against one of the worst secondaries in the NFL. Of course, that runs counter to Rex Ryan’s general belief, and especially his statements after Week One when he promised that the Jets would get back to the “Ground n’ Pound” approach that he values so highly. If the Jets are too committed to running the ball, they might not exploit the favorable matchups that their receivers have against the Jags’ defensive backs.<br /><br /><ul><li><span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></span><b><span style="font-size: large;">Can the Jets contain MJD and Marcedes Lewis? </span></b>&nbsp;</li></ul>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In this case, I’m only referring to receiving yards, because the Jets are generally quite good at stopping the run. I think the only real shot the Jags have at moving the ball is by using heavy doses of MJD and Lewis. In my opinion, if the Jets can hold both players under a combined 130 yards receiving, the Jets will be in good shape. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><ul><li><span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;</span><b><span style="font-size: large;">Can the Jets go to 2-0 at home?</span></b></li></ul>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Jets have not been a great home team under Rex, and that’s something that everyone on the team would love to change. This game offers a great opportunity to go to 2-0 at home. Elite NFL teams tend to be dominant at home, and if the Jets want to become an elite team and get a home playoff game, winning games at home against inferior competition needs to be a foregone conclusion.<br /><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;">FINAL THOUGHTS</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal">I think the Jets will struggle in the first half as they try to run the ball against a defense geared to stop the run. In the second half, I expect the Jets to adjust to what is working and open up the offense.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;I expect the Jets to do quite well on defense and limit the Jags to no more than 14 points. If the Jags are going to win, they will need to rely on turnovers or special teams.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">FINAL SCORE: <span style="color: #38761d;">Jets 27</span> <span style="color: #45818e;">Jags 14</span></span></div>http://www.nyjetsplaybook.com/2011/09/jets-jaguars-preview.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nate)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4664908849441313653.post-4967125363739898028Thu, 15 Sep 2011 03:00:00 +00002011-09-14T20:00:29.896-07:00BelloreMcIntyreMcKnightPuntSpecial TeamsTrufantWesthoffAnatomy of a Blocked Punt<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> 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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <br /><div class="MsoNormal">Since I’m no Johnny Knoxville, I can’t go over the finer points of returning a punt.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/W3oN6Xz_2qo/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/W3oN6Xz_2qo&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/W3oN6Xz_2qo&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">What I can do, however, is go over the key play in Sunday night’s game and analyze how the Jets ended up blocking Matt McBriar's punt and tying the game.</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><a name='more'></a><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">In order to understand how Joe McKnight ended with a clear path to the punter, it’s first necessary for us to look back at the Cowboys’ first four punts of the game. The wise old wizard, Mike Westhoff, didn’t call for any exotic kinds of punt block schemes. Instead, he stayed fairly conservative and attempted to set up returns. On the Cowboys first punt (top left), the Jets only used one defender on each gunner, and had Nick Bellore <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>(#54) stay well behind the line of scrimmage to guard against a fake. On the Cowboys’ second punt, (top right) the Jets used a total of three defenders for two gunners and had Brodney pool lined up behind the LOS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>On the third Cowboys’ punt, the Jets used a total of four defenders for two gunners, which made it abundantly clear that the Jets weren’t going to rush the punter. On the Cowboys’ fourth punt, the Jets used three <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>defenders for two gunners and had Bellore well behind the line of scrimmage. Sorry that the picture isn't the best, but punts that don't get blocked or returned for touchdowns are pretty boring</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Jets-CowboysPunts-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Jets-CowboysPunts-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See, they're boring.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">With 5:08 left in the game, Mike Westhoff clearly decided that he needed to force the Cowboys’ hand. The way he went about doing this is fascinating and illustrated just how tiny the difference between winning and losing in the NFL can be.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">As you can see from the picture below, the Jets only had two defenders for the two gunners on the field, and had eight men at or near the line of scrimmage, which matched up with the Cowboys eight blockers. You’ll also note that the Jets appear to have gotten a great jump on the snap because they’re all moving while the Cowboys are acting like a Patriots fan planning a playoff victory party any time in the last three years, and simply waiting. While the Jets got a good break on the snap, that alone shouldn’t have been enough to block a punt. In theory, the Cowboys had enough blockers to match up with potential rushers, but know what else is only a theory? That’s right, gravity.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Jets-CowboysPuntsnap-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Jets-CowboysPuntsnap-1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">You’ll notice that I said the Jets had eight men at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">or near</i> the line of scrimmage because the eighth man in the box was actually a yard or two behind the line of scrimmage. For those of you with sharp eyes, you might notice that the Jet not directly on the LOS is #25, Joe McKnight. Now, I know what you’re thinking: isn’t he the guy who blocked the punt? To quote Omar Little...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/K97pdv392DM/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/K97pdv392DM&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/K97pdv392DM&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">To see how that happened, let’s look a little deeper.&nbsp; On the Cowboys previous four punts, the Jets defender not directly on the line of scrimmage had stayed several yards back during the punt, so the Cowboys’ blockers clearly assumed that the Jets would use a similar scheme. As a result, they probably considered McKnight to be the least threatening of the rushers. WHOOPS!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">As you can see from this picture, the Jets didn’t send all eight available defenders to rush the punter. Instead, they had Nick Bellore drop back from the LOS and stand a few yards back during the (attempted) punt. Why would Westhoff call for that scheme? Let’s dig a little deeper. As we dig, take note of the gaping hole that Joe McKnight is running through as Nick Bellore (circled in red) just stands and watches, and wonder how that could happen.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Jets-CowboysPuntsnap3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Jets-CowboysPuntsnap3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Are you wondering yet?</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">When blocking for a punt, blockers are taught to block an <i>area</i>, and not a specific person, and they are taught to block from the inside out. This makes logical sense, because the inside rushers have a much shorter path to the kicker or punter, and an untouched interior rusher almost guarantees a blocked kick, as the Cowboys would find out in milliseconds, but you can find out whenever you finish this paragraph.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">When you look at the picture below, you get a great illustration of how Joe McKnight (circled in red) came through the line unblocked. It turns out that Nick Bellore (blue arrow) did not immediately drop back into his coverage role. Instead, he took a hard step or two towards the punter. By rushing for this split second, he forced number 57 (don’t want to look up his name, he’s not a Jet) to block him. Numbers 89 and 91 for the Cowboys are double teaming Garrett McIntyre, who’s doing a great job of occupying them both. Remember, the Cowboys blockers are assigned to block an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">area</i>, and not a person.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Jets-CowboysPuntrush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Jets-CowboysPuntrush.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He doesn't know his punt is about to be blocked!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Because McKnight lined up a yard behind the LOS, he delayed his rush by a fraction of a second. The Cowboys didn’t expect him to rush, and their blockers were forced to react instantaneously. As a result, numbers 89 and 91 blocked the person who was in their immediate vicinity, who happened to be Garrett McIntyre. Had Nick Bellore not sold his rush, numbers 57 and 91 would have shifted to the right to occupy McIntyre, and number 89 would have had no one to block, until he saw Joe McKnight rushing at him.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Instead, as we can see thanks to the awesome reverse angle, the smallest delay was all that McKnight needed. As the Cowboys blockers committed to their areas, McKnight (red circle) made his move and, with a full head of steam, ran through the gaping hole that was left for him. You can even see #89 on the Cowboys realizing his mistake, and realizing that he’s too late to do anything about it except for sticking out his right arm and hoping for an act of God, while Nick Bellore (blue arrow) probably cries to himself that no one but an obscure blogger would realize his contributions to the play.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Jets-CowboysPuntBlock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Jets-CowboysPuntBlock.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Jets-CowboysPunt3-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">And now, we can see how Westhoff’s machinations ended up working out. Bellore (blue arrow) abandoned his fake rush and had the best view in the stadium to watch McKnight (circled in red) run past the adorably flailing #89 on the Cowboys and block the punt and play a major role in the Jets’ victory. This was one of the few times when the play that the coaches drew up works to perfection, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Although the Cowboys could have foiled the Jets’ attempt to block the punt with better execution, Westhoff’s creativity gave the Jets a vital edge, and all they needed was a split second of indecision to take advantage.</div>http://www.nyjetsplaybook.com/2011/09/anatomy-of-blocked-punt.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nate)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4664908849441313653.post-1334365523040745164Wed, 14 Sep 2011 12:04:00 +00002011-09-14T05:13:55.202-07:00Some more postgame thoughts<div class="MsoNormal">Now that the dust has finally settled after the victory over the Cowboys, I’ve had time to watch the game again and take some more detailed notes about what I saw and found interesting. Because I’m not a normal person (normal people wouldn’t spend this much time thinking and writing about a football team whose players were unaware of said writers existence) the plays I find “interesting” might not be the same as yours, but that’s a risk that I’m willing to take.</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><a name='more'></a><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="font-size: large;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;">Is Santonio feeling at ho(l)me(s) in the slot?</span>&nbsp; </li></ul>I’ll wait for you to stop laughing before I continue with this paragraph. Last year, Santonio Holmes lined up almost exclusively on the outside for the Jets, which came as no surprise: most elite wide receivers line up on the outside of their team’s offensive formations, and with good reason. The middle of the field is filled with linebackers or safeties who would enjoy nothing more than cleanly separating a wide receiver’s head from his body.&nbsp; When the Jets gave Holmes a huge contract extension, and then signed Derrick Mason, it seemed logical to assume that Mason would be getting the most time as a slot receiver, with Jeremy Kerley battling him for playing time. What most Jets fans probably did not expect (at least I didn’t) was that Santonio Holmes would receive significant playing time in the slot, but that was exactly what happened on Monday night. Holmes was on the field for 61 plays (the most of any skill position player) and he was in the slot for 36 of those plays. This came as a shock to me, because I never thought of Holmes as a player who could even play in the slot. When I stopped and thought about it though, the move made sense: it allows Holmes to use his abundant natural quickness and he is almost impossible to jam coming off of the line of scrimmage because he can release in either direction. &nbsp;Although part of his playing time in the slot might have stemmed from the fact that the Jets were in the shotgun so much, this was definitely a new wrinkle that was added to the Jets offense that we should keep an eye on for the rest of the season. <br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">Also, for those of you who were wondering, here is my unofficial snap count for offensive skill position players:</div><ul><li>Holmes- 61</li><li>Burress- 52</li><li>Mason-42</li><li>Kerley-1 (YAY!)</li><li>Tomlinson-39</li><li>Greene-27 (They were on the field together for two plays)</li><li>Conner-6</li><li>Keller-54 (4 at receiver, 2 at running back)</li><li>Cumberland-16 (8 at receiver)</li><li>Mulligan- 20 (1 at receiver, 1 at fullback)</li></ul><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/CRO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><span style="font-size: large;">Is that Antonio Cromartie at Wide Receiver?</span>&nbsp;</li></ul><br />I know I did a double take when I saw number 31 on the field on offense. Even though he only served as a decoy for one play, I assume that his presence on offense will give opposing defensive coordinators something to think about, which is always a positive for the Jets. I doubt that the Jets make any real effort to include Cromartie in future offensive gameplans, but his incredible speed would definitely be useful for gadget plays. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/CRO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/CRO.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I bet you didn't expect to see him on offense!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><br /><ul><li><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><span style="font-size: large;">Do you know who uses defensive linemen?</span>&nbsp;</li></ul><br />HAH! You were probably going to say something like “every NFL team,” weren’t you? Well, you would have been wrong! The correct answer, according to Rex Ryan, iss dumb people. Granted, this might be a slight exaggeration, but for one glorious play, the Jets lined up without ANY defensive linemen on the field, and used all 250 pounds of Bryan Thomas as the nose guard. Of course, that play happened to be a 26 yard completion to Dez Bryant, but we don’t need to focus on the negatives. On a lot of other (10 by my count), obvious passing downs, Rex sent out one defensive lineman (usually Marcus Dixon) flanked by Jamaal Westerman and Calvin Pace. I’m not really sure what Rex’s thinking with this move is, because I firmly believe that Wilk or Pito are better football players than Westerman, but maybe he just wants to get as much speed as possible on the field.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/BTatnose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/BTatnose.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kris Jenkins who?</td></tr></tbody></table>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;">The battle for snaps between Muhammad Wilkerson and Ropati Pitoitua</span> was almost a dead heat. By my count, Wilk was in for 31 snaps, while Pito saw the field for 25. That seems like a reasonable distribution to me. I loved what I saw from Pito, but Wilkerson showed me flashes as well. Although Wilkerson was blocked too easily on a few plays, there’s no doubt that he has the talent necessary to succeed. </li></ul><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><br /><ul><li><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><span style="font-size: large;">Chris Baker, is that you?</span></li></ul>It's funny because they both wear the same number. Your opinion of Brian Schottenheimer will probably impact how you view this next tidbit, but I found it interesting. Jeff Cumberland played 16 snaps, and he lined up as a wide receiver for 8 of them, including his longest pass reception. On that play, the linebackers collapsed on Dustin Keller and the defensive backs made sure to stay with Santonio Holmes, which left a huge vacant area for Cumberland.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/CUMB1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/CUMB1-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice Demarcus Ware and Sean Lee collapsing on Keller and leaving a lot of area behind them. Also, good call not using Ware to rush the passer Every. Single. Play. He wasn't too effective at it or anything.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/CUMB2-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/CUMB2-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cumberland, in red, has a ton of room to catch Sanchez's perfect pass.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />Last year, Schottenheimer had a habit of lining up Ben Hartsock as a wide receiver and never even considering him throwing the ball, and this irritated many Jet fans (myself included). So, if you hate Schottenheimer, the very thought of having a tight end lined up wide might piss you off to no end. However, I think having Cumberland playing wide receiver on occasion will be beneficial on occasion.Now, it seems like the Jets will be able to enjoy whatever matchup advantages playing the tight end out wide can lead to, while also having a legitimate receiving threat. Even more importantly, Matt Mulligan played 12 snaps and only lined up at wide receiver once. Baby steps people.<br /><br /><br /><ul><li><span style="font-size: large;">Charles Woodson who?</span></li></ul><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I avoid talking about politics like Antonio Cromartie avoids tackling, so I am going to say that the following statement is in no way controversial: Darrelle Revis losing the 2009 DPOY award was the biggest sham of an election in the history of the modern world. That might be under-stating things a bit, but this is the internet and there's no room for exaggeration. Many of Woodson's defenders said that Woodson deserved the award because <strike>they never saw Revis play&nbsp; </strike>Woodson was a more complete player and an excellent blitzer who had more sacks than Revis did. Of course, this argument neglected the fact that Revis NEVER RUSHED THE QUARTERBACK, and it always seemed like arguing that a baseball player should win the MVP over a better player because he was really good at sacrifice bunts. Again, I digress. For only the second time I can remember (in 2009 against the Bengals Revis blitzed once) Rex sent Revis on a blitz last night. I have a feeling Rex has two motivations to do this. First, he might want to help Darrelle get "counting" stats that would further his DPOY candidacy if he plays as well as he is capable of. Secondly, when he blitzes, the offense is generally confused. The standard way of beating a blitz from a cornerback is to throw right at the area the cornerback vacated. Of course, most quarterbacks are so terrified of throwing the ball at Revis that their first read after the snap is <i>away</i></span> <span style="font-size: small;">from Revis, which plays right into the Jets' hands. This was illustrated perfectly last night, as Tony Romo took the snap and immediately looked left, then saw Revis blitzing and pump faked, out of confusion <strike>and terror that he would be required to make a big play later in the game</strike>. On a side note, I'm convinced the biggest favor opposing offenses can do for the Jets is allow the play clock to wind down. It gives the Jets the opportunity to disguise their blitzes and gives the offensive line no time to adjust.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/revisblitz1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/revisblitz1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As Revis blitzes and Westerman sprints over to cover Felix Jones out of the backfield, Romo <i>should</i> be able to hit Dez Bryant for a quick throw and a first down</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Revisblitz3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l516/nyjetsplaybook/Revisblitz3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Because Romo hesitates, however, Donald Strickland has time to close and break the pass up. Hooray!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />Thanks for taking the time to read some of my post-game thoughts and observations. I will be back later with a breakdown of how the Jets were able to block Dallas's punt and tie up the game.http://www.nyjetsplaybook.com/2011/09/some-more-postgame-thoughts.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nate)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4664908849441313653.post-2455174289778724129Tue, 13 Sep 2011 03:33:00 +00002011-09-12T20:40:36.029-07:00CromartiedefenseDeVitoEllisJetsLeonhardPacePitoituaPouhaRevisScottSmithWestermanWilkersonWilsonPostgame Thoughts: DefenseIf you missed my postgame thoughts on the offense, you can check them out <a href="http://www.nyjetsplaybook.com/2011/09/postgame-thoughts-offense.html">here.</a> Without further ado, let's get to my thoughts on the defense.<br /><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Defensive Line</span></b>: I have a huge man-crush on Ropati Pitoitua, and I make no apologies for that fact. Ever since I first saw him block out the sun on a football field in 2009, I thought that he would be able to play a significant role for Jets defenses in the future. Last night, with the most extensive playing time of his NFL career,&nbsp; Pito did not disappoint, as he was a constant force against the fun. He plugged holes, showed good lateral quickness, and generally disrupted the Cowboys’ offensive gameplan. Sione Pouha and Mike Devito continued their unheralded stellar play against the run, as the Cowboys abysmal rushing line from last night suggests. Muhammad Wilkerson made his NFL debut last night, and most fans, including myself, were very curious to see how he would perform. The short answer: like a rookie.<br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">At times, Wilk was blocked far too easily by Cowboys Tight Ends, but on other plays, Wilk showed off the length and athleticism that prompted the Jets to use their first round pick on him. I expect Wilk’s first year to be filled with ups and downs, but if he can play like he did last night while showing occasional flashes of the talent that he has, I won’t be unhappy. Of course, the Jets d-line didn’t contribute much by way of the pass rush, but does that really surprise anyone? To Mike Devito’s credit, he made what might have been the biggest play of the game when he chased down Tony Romo and forced a fumble on the one yard line.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Linebackers:</b></span> As bad as Bart Scott is against the pass, (and he’s pretty bad. That missed tackle on John Phillips made my eyes bleed) he is equally adept against the run. Although his contributions were most obvious on his big 3<sup>rd</sup> and 1 stop on Felix Jones, Scott was effective for all of last night’s game, as he continuously flung himself into the Cowboys’ line. David Harris was David Harris. Very, very good with no wow plays, but no mistakes either. The only think I didn’t like from him was the botched zone that led to Dez’s big catch on the game’s first series. What was that I saw from you last night Calvin Pace? Was that a semblance of actual pass-rushing moves I saw from you last night? I think it was! Although the pass rush was nowhere close to where I’d like it to be, both Westerman and Pace showed more “wiggle” than I have seen from them in the past. Who knows, maybe a fully healthy Pace will be able to do wonders for the pass rush. One other thing that Pace did that made me happy was adjust after the game’s first play.<br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">In the pre-season, the Jets were constantly victimized by bootleg passes to running backs as the outside linebackers forgot about their coverage responsibilities. The same thing happened on the first play last night, but the problem was fixed and it didn’t happen again. Good coaching and good adjustments. Bryan Thomas was his usual steady self. He didn’t have a great game, although he almost ripped a handoff out of Tony Romo’s hand. That would have been awesome.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Secondary:</b></span> I’ll be the first person to admit it: being a Jets fan has made me spoiled. Not just a little spoiled, either. I’m talking about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">My Super Sweet 16 </i>spoiled. What am I talking about, you might ask? Not Super Bowl wins, that’s for sure. HA! Everyone knows Super Bowls are dumb. What I’m talking about is watching the best cornerback on the planet practice his craft. In 2009, Darrelle Revis redefined what it meant to be an elite cornerback. It didn’t mean that the person he was guarding would have a bad game; it meant that the person he was guarding could have his hands cut off and it wouldn’t have mattered. Revis wasn’t just great; he was other-wordly. What does this have to do with last night’s game? After the game, my first thought was that Revis didn’t play that well. Once I stopped to think about it, I realized how absurd of a statement that was. Revis allowed one catch for 26 yards to Dez Bryant after Bryant had abused Antonio Cromartie.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">But it wasn’t that one catch that bothered me. Instead, it was the fact that Reis allowed a ten yard completion to Kevin Ogletree on a 3<sup>rd</sup> and 10. When that play happened, I was totally shocked. Darrelle Revis got beat…<i>by some team’s third receiver</i>? Seriously? Maybe he thought the play was blown dead or something. Sure, Revis got the interception to set up the game winning field goal and shut down Dez Bryant for the vast majority of the game, but last night I gave his performance a 6/10. After repeatedly punching myself in the face, I realize how absurd that is. Even though it might be impossible for Revis (or anyone) to duplicate his 2009 season, there’s no reason that he can’t still be the best cornerback in the NFL and still give up an occasional catch to a shitty wide receiver. As for Antonio Cromartie, the stats will show that he gave up two touchdowns, and watching the game tells us that he hates physical contact more than a BYU RA, but I will argue that most of the criticism directed at him is a function of how spoiled we are from watching Darrelle Revis.<br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Sometimes, great receivers make great plays on very good cornerbacks, and that’s something that we need to accept. I would still rather have Cromartie than most second cornerbacks in the NFL. (unless, of course, we could somehow clone Revis.)&nbsp; I continue to like what I see from Kyle Wilson. Last year, his early struggles probably destroyed his confidence for much of the season, but he improved as the season wore on. As bad as Wilson was last year, it didn’t seem as if his struggles came from an inability to cover. Instead, he simply seemed unable to find the ball when it was in the air. Although he hasn’t been directly challenged yet, his coverage last night was very good and I think he will be a solid nickel back this year. It remains to be seen how effective he will be as a blitzing nickel back, but I have high hopes.<br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Now on to the safeties: yuck. Eric Smith, just do better covering Jason Witten, okay? I know that there wasn’t much pass rush on the play, and I know that Witten is one of the best tight ends in the league but just do better. Please. On a side note, nice (insert adjective for likeable, undersized white player) play by Jim Leonhard to track Witten down and push him out of bounds, which set up Devito’s forced fumble. I think it was pretty obvious that the Jets were going to struggle covering tight ends this year, so one play down the seam isn’t terrible.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Thanks for reading, and please check back tomorrow and during the week for more of my thoughts on the Jets. I plan on breaking down the snaps distribution of the Dlinemen, along with a breakdown of the blocked punt. Stay tuned! &nbsp;</div>http://www.nyjetsplaybook.com/2011/09/postgame-thoughts-defense.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nate)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4664908849441313653.post-5559842479754804696Tue, 13 Sep 2011 03:21:00 +00002011-09-12T20:44:49.951-07:00BurressCumberlandFergusonGreeneHolmesHunterJetsKellerMangoldMooreoffenseSanchezSlausonTomlinsonWarePostgame Thoughts: Offense<div class="MsoNormal">Heading into last night’s game, I was worried that the Jets would repeat their opening performance from the 2010 season: I didn’t want to see the Jets come out flat and immediately fall into a hole that they would be ill-equipped to dig out of.&nbsp; Of course, the Jets decided to go in the opposite (the same??) direction. They looked uninspired to start the game, as the Cowboys drove down the field with ease with the worst play of the first series being Dez Bryant easily splitting the attempted zone of Bryan Thomas and David Harris for a 42 yard gain. The Jets’ offense wasn’t able to put a drive together until the end of the first half when they were trailing 10-7, but Sanchez’s touchdown pass to Keller made the score 10-7 at halftime.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">In the 2<sup>nd</sup> half, Sanchez played much better, although he was also kind enough to remind us that “Bad Mark,” the player who completes half of his passes and haunts the dreams of every Jets fan, is still lurking somewhere under the surface of the new and improved QB heading the offense. With the Jets down by two touchdowns Sanchez made an excellent throw to Plax for a score; if Sanchez can figure out how to properly use Burress’ size, that combination could be dangerously effective, <strike>like the pistol Plaxico needed for protecition</strike>. Eventually, the Jets tied up the game on a blocked punt before Tony Romo was kind enough to gift the Jets an interception which led to the game winning Field Goal. Much more in-depth analysis will be coming throughout the week, but for now I will take a look at the different positions, and how the players performed.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Quarterback:</span></b> As previously mentioned, Sanchez showcased some of the bi-polar quarterbacking that makes him such an enigmatic player. On what was essentially a pick-six, Sanchez stared down his intended receiver (Dustin Keller), failed to see the defender who was standing RIGHT in front of Keller, and threw a pass that led to the second easiest interception of the game (thanks Tony Romo!) On the Jets’ last possession of the game, he stared down Derrick Mason and almost threw another interception that would have killed the Jets’ chances of scoring. Enough with the negatives though: For much of the game, Sanchez looked like a different quarterback; one who had finally taken that elusive next step and was going to be able to pull a Greg Jennings and put the team on his back. Sanchez made several plays that really impressed me, but perhaps none more than his 3<sup>rd</sup> and 10 completion to Dustin Keller with 6:52 left in the 4<sup>th</sup> quarter. Sanchez showed excellent escape ability while keeping his eyes down the field, and then he made a perfect throw on the run. Those are the kind of plays that elite quarterbacks make on a consistent basis.<br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">One other thing about Sanchez that I find interesting is how much better he seems to play when he’s in a no-huddle offense. Without knowing the details of the Jets’ offense, I can’t make any kind of intelligent guess as to why that is, but I can say that I would like to see the Jets use the no-huddle a bit more. Of course, that might make it more difficult to use the “ground-and-pound” that Rex&nbsp; espouses, but I’ll take any kind of offensive success I can get.<br /><br /><br />One play that particularly impressed me was a throw that Sanchez didn’t make. In the third quarter, the Jets ran their fake-draw to a quick slant play that they normally run so effectively. This time though, the Cowboys were prepared and there was a defender sitting in Sanchez’s throwing lane. Instead of forcing a throw and an almost certain pick, Sanchez pumped fake, and ended up throwing an incompletion. It’s not a play that will show up on the stat-sheet, but it was a vital play.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Running Backs<b>:</b></span> Call me crazy, but I’m thrilled with what I saw from our running backs last night. No, not from Shonn Greene. In Greene’s defense, there weren’t many holes for him to run through, the offensive line played poorly, and Greene got most of the yards that were available to him. What I’m really happy about, however, is how excellent LT looked last night as the 3<sup>rd</sup> down back. Last year, I thought that the Jets were giving LT too many carries when Greene was clearly a more explosive option. I can only assume that the Jets finally saw my hundreds of message board posts restating that same fact, and finally decided to put LT in the role he was suited for. LT showed excellent hands (no surprise) great awareness of the first down marker (duh) and enough burst to make teams take notice of him when he is on the field. Based off of last night’s performance (and LT’s incredible HOF career) I feel confident saying that LT is one of the top third down backs in the NFL.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Tight Ends<b>:</b></span> Hello Jeff Cumberland. It’s nice to see what you can do in a real game. Everyone who follows the Jets closely read glowing reports about Jeff Cumberland’s freakish athleticism last year. Naturally, we began to assume that the next Antonio Gates was waiting in the wings, ready to be unleashed on hapless defenses when the time is right. While he might not be the best tight end in NFL history (yet) it seems obvious that Cumberland will be a useful weapon for the Jets offense during the season. On his 33 yard catch, he ran past linebackers like they were standing still. Of course for all of the hype surrounding Cumberland’s performance last night, he wasn’t the best Tight End on the Jets. Instead, that was the often forgotten man, Dustin Keller. Keller was Sanchez’s most reliable target last night, with five catches for 61 yards. He ran excellent routes, created space for himself on the aforementioned 3<sup>rd</sup> and 10, and showed off his ability to consistently find the soft spot in a zone defense. Although it took a while for Sanchez to look for Keller, Keller played an excellent and complete game.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Wide Receivers:</span></b> Not surprisingly, Santonio Holmes is still awesome. Although he was blanketed for much of the night, he showed off some of his open-field skills on a long catch and run. As good as Holmes is, though, most Jets fans weren’t worried about his performance. After watching Holmes last season, every Jets fan knew what a good player he is. For all of the certainty that Jet fans felt about Holmes, though, they were equally unsure about Plaxico Burress. What kind of shape would Plaxico be in? Did he receive the Michael Vick rejuvenation treatment while he was in prison? Would he even be able to stay on the field? In the first half, Chris Collinsworth made an astute point: Plax is different from any receiver that Mark Sanchez has ever worked with before.<br /><br /><br />Instead of having a normal catch radius, Plax has an intrusive reach that would make George Orwell proud: his arms are everywhere and any ball thrown near him is catchable. Sanchez showed that he was a quick learner when he threw a touchdown to Plax. The beauty from this play came from its lack of beauty; it wasn’t a perfectly thrown ball like so many of Sanchez’s touchdowns in the past, but it didn’t need to be. As long as the ball got beyond the reach of whatever Lilliputian Cowboys defensive back happened to be covering Plax, Plax was going to catch it, and he did. I look forward to Sanchez and Burress continuing to team up to terrorize opposing defenses.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Offensive Line</span><span style="font-size: large;">:</span></b> Yuck. &nbsp;In all fairness, we have no right to get annoyed at Wayne Hunter for the way that Demarcus Ware both literally and figuratively dominated him. That would be like a fan of another team getting annoyed that their mediocre receiver couldn’t get separation from Darrelle Revis. Having said that (Larry David alert) it was still incredibly frustrating to watch Sanchez have so little time on so many plays. Last year, Wayne Hunter was manhandled by Mario Williams, and this performance seemed eerily similar. Hopefully Hunter can improve significantly and rapidly, because most passing offenses require more than half a second of time for their quarterback to make a throw. Hunter was not alone in his poor play last night, however. Oh no! this was a communal festival of suck, and there were plenty of blown blocks and cement feet to go around. Hopefully the line can improve, and quickly, because every Jet fan was counting on this unit being a strength, and that was clearly not the case last night. </div>http://www.nyjetsplaybook.com/2011/09/postgame-thoughts-offense.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nate)0